According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC's current plan includes two major main events for upcoming numbered cards. UFC 329 on July 11 is targeted to feature Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway as the main event. UFC 330 on August 15 is planned to have Islam Makhachev defend his lightweight title against Ian Garry. Neither fight has been officially confirmed by the UFC. The Makhachev-Garry matchup would be particularly notable as Garry is a welterweight who has never fought at lightweight.
Reported plans for two marquee main events have emerged, with reporter Ariel Helwani indicating the UFC is targeting Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway for UFC 329 on July 11 and a lightweight title defense for Islam Makhachev against Ian Garry at UFC 330 on August 15. Neither bout has received official confirmation from the promotion.
McGregor, 37, carries a 22-6-0 record and returns as one of combat sports' most recognizable figures. The Irishman out of SBG Ireland stands five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach and has posted 5.32 significant strikes landed per minute across his career, operating out of a southpaw stance. Holloway, 34, has built a 27-9-0 record and currently sits fourth in the lightweight rankings and ninth pound-for-pound. The Hawaiian operates out of Gracie Technics and is one of the sport's most prolific volume strikers, landing 7.2 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy.
The Makhachev side of the report draws particular attention. The Russian champion, also 34, holds a 28-1-0 record and stands as the top-ranked fighter pound-for-pound. Representing Eagles MMA, Makhachev is a southpaw grappler who averages 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per fifteen minutes, with a striking accuracy of 58 percent. His reported opponent, Ian Garry, competes as a welterweight and has never fought at lightweight, making a cross-divisional challenge an unusual proposition.
Why it matters
- McGregor versus Holloway would revisit a featherweight rivalry, now rebooked at a higher stakes moment in both men's careers
- A Garry lightweight title shot would be a rare instance of a welterweight challenging for a title a division above without an established lightweight record
- Makhachev's dominant grappling profile poses a stylistically extreme test for any opponent unaccustomed to the lighter weight class
- Both matchups remain unconfirmed and should be treated as reported plans subject to change
