According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC's current plan is to book Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway as the main event for UFC 329 on July 11. The promotion is also planning Islam Makhachev versus Ian Garry as the headliner for UFC 330 on August 15. These matchups would represent major returns and title defenses, with McGregor facing Holloway in a highly anticipated rematch and lightweight champion Makhachev defending against rising contender Garry. Both fights are in the development stage.
Per a report from Ariel Helwani, the UFC is targeting Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway as the main event of UFC 329 on July 11, with Islam Makhachev versus Ian Garry penciled in to headline UFC 330 on August 15. Neither booking has been officially confirmed, and both remain in the development stage.
McGregor, 37, carries a 22-6-0 record and returns under the SBG Ireland banner after an extended absence. The southpaw Irishman stands five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach — notably long for his frame — and has averaged 5.32 significant strikes per minute across his career with 49 percent accuracy. A victory over Holloway would be a marquee statement in what would be a long-awaited comeback. The two men have history: McGregor defeated Holloway by unanimous decision back in 2013, making this a rematch more than a decade in the making.
Holloway, now 34 and ranked fourth in the lightweight division, has evolved considerably since that first meeting. The Hawaiian orthodox striker carries a 27-9-0 record and currently sits ninth in the pound-for-pound rankings. He produces a remarkable 7.2 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy, numbers that reflect one of the most relentless output rates in the sport.
Makhachev enters UFC 330 as champion and the number-one ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The 34-year-old Russian southpaw holds a 28-1-0 record and fights out of Eagles MMA. He averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts in the same span, with 58 percent striking accuracy rounding out an all-around skillset that has defined the lightweight division.
Why it matters
- McGregor vs. Holloway is a high-profile rematch with significant lightweight and pay-per-view implications
- Makhachev's title defense against a rising welterweight crossover in Garry would test the champion against a fresh stylistic challenge
- Both events fall in quick succession, positioning the UFC for a blockbuster summer stretch
