Conor McGregor is finally closing in on his UFC return.
Sources told The Post that he is closing in on a deal to fight Max Holloway on July 11 at UFC 329 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The expectation is that the two will compete at welterweight, the first time that Holloway will fight at 170 pounds.
An official announcement could come within the week, though there’s no rush, as McGregor, 37, is said to be knee-deep in fight camp as he prepares for his return to the octagon in just eight weeks.
Holloway vs. McGregor will mark nearly five years to the day since the former two-division champion last fought, when he broke his femur in July 2021 during his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier.
A source with knowledge of the situation added that McGregor’s camp had been pushing to make his return fight three rounds back in 2024, rather than the typical five rounds.
Though a main event is almost always five rounds, with very few exceptions made except for last-minute fill-in bouts.
Even given the fact that this bout won’t be for a title, a three-round main event is highly irregular and hasn’t been seen since Anderson Silva vs. Israel Adesanya at UFC 234, a short-notice bout.
The expectation is that this bout will be for five rounds, though the number of rounds could be a reason for the holdup on the announcement as we get close to International Fight Week.
The UFC has been circling an announcement of a McGregor fight for years, as he was previously expected to fight Michael Chandler in the summer of 2024, though he was forced to pull out due to a fractured pinky toe.
UFC President and CEO Dana White revealed earlier in the week on “The Jim Rome Show” that he was “extremely confident” that McGregor would be fighting this summer, but stopped short of naming the opponent.
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani added earlier this week that Holloway vs. McGregor was becoming increasingly likely in the lead-up to UFC 328, headlined by a shocking victory for Sean Strickland over Khamzat Chimaev.
Holloway and McGregor fought earlier in their career, when Holloway was just 20 years old and 7-2 as a professional.
McGregor won that fight by unanimous decision and tore his ACL during the bout, forcing a long recovery process.
