According to information from Ariel Helwani, the UFC's current plan features two major main events for summer 2026. UFC 329 on July 11 is planned to headline Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway. UFC 330 on August 15 would feature lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defending his title against Ian Garry. These bookings would represent significant shifts in matchmaking, particularly Garry's jump to lightweight for a title shot. The reported cards would deliver two of the sport's biggest names in consecutive months. Official confirmation from the UFC remains pending.
Reports from Ariel Helwani indicate the UFC is targeting two high-profile main events in consecutive summer months, though neither booking has received official confirmation from the promotion.
According to the report, UFC 329 on July 11 is planned to feature Conor McGregor against Max Holloway, with UFC 330 on August 15 slated to see lightweight champion Islam Makhachev defend his title against Ian Garry.
McGregor, 37, carries a 22-6-0 record and returns to the UFC representing SBG Ireland. The southpaw Irishman stands five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach — a notable frame for the division — and has averaged 5.32 significant strikes landed per minute throughout his career, connecting at 49 percent accuracy.
Holloway, 34, enters the reported bout ranked fourth in the lightweight division and ninth pound-for-pound. The orthodox Hawaiian, fighting out of Gracie Technics, holds a 27-9-0 record and is one of the most prolific strikers in the sport, landing 7.2 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. His reach measures 69 inches on a five-foot-eleven frame.
Makhachev, also 34, sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings as the reigning lightweight champion, holding a 28-1-0 record. The southpaw Russian, representing Eagles MMA, is a dominant grappler who averages 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. He connects on 58 percent of his significant strikes, the highest accuracy figure among the fighters named in these reports.
Why it matters
- Holloway entering at lightweight rank four makes a McGregor fight a potential ranking-relevant contest for him
- Garry is not listed as a lightweight in the current database, making his reported jump to challenge Makhachev a striking shift in divisional matchmaking
- Back-to-back pay-per-view events of this scale would represent an unusually concentrated stretch of marquee programming for the UFC's summer calendar
- All bookings remain unconfirmed and should be treated as reported plans subject to change
