Max Holloway doesn’t care about the UFC’s big fight on the White House lawn. With UFC 329 just days away, “Blessed” says his rematch with Conor McGregor is way bigger than any political stunt.
This Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, McGregor is finally stepping back into the cage for the first time in five years, since he broke his leg fighting Dustin Poirier. He is fighting Holloway at 170 pounds, which is a rematch of their first fight, all the way back in 2013, when McGregor won by decision.
Dana White is already saying this gate is going to break records. Holloway is making it clear that this card, not the UFC’s summer trip to Washington, is the real main event of 2026.
Max Holloway Ranks UFC 329 Above The White House Card
Max Holloway told the New York Post exactly how he feels ahead of his rematch with “The Notorious,” and he didn’t hold back. He said his fight is his chance to prove everyone wrong on the biggest stage.
“This is an opportunity to prove people wrong, I have a big chance, I have a lot of eyes (on me), I think this is the event of the year right now, people might call me biased cause the White House card happened but when you’ve got Conor McGregor in the mix, it’s always a good time,” Holloway said.
The White House card he’s talking about is UFC Freedom 250, where Justin Gaethje pulled off a shocking upset victory over Ilia Topuria on June 14. White treated the whole night like a Super Bowl moment, and the hype proved it.
The event ended up pulling in 34 million viewers worldwide and got a crazy 126 billion views on social media during fight week. Joe Rogan initially guessed on air that 150 million people watched, but even though the real number was lower, it still completely broke all company records.
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway are About to Smash UFC Ticket Records Once Again
The 56-year-old UFC boss has been talking up the business side of UFC 329 for weeks, telling everyone that the live gate at T-Mobile Arena is probably going to beat the promotion’s current record of roughly $22 million set at the Sphere.
That is just the so-called Conor McGregor effect in action. Even though he hasn’t won a fight since January 2020 and hasn’t even competed since 2021, he still sells out arenas faster than anyone else on the roster.
Beating him at 170 pounds in front of a record-breaking crowd instantly puts Holloway in a massive position to call his shots in the lightweight or welterweight divisions.
And for the Irishman, it’s all about proving he still belongs at the top after five years away from the sport. Whether this really ends up being the “event of the year” is something fans will debate after Saturday, but with McGregor’s name on the poster, the box office numbers are expected to set new records.
