After a five-year absence from the Octagon, Conor McGregor is set to make his highly anticipated return this Saturday night at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The former two-division champion will face Max Holloway in a welterweight clash, marking a significant shift in his career following a severe leg injury sustained in his last bout.
McGregor’s last appearance was a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, where he suffered a broken leg. Now 37 years old, his comeback fight is a rematch of their August 2013 encounter, which McGregor won by unanimous decision. However, the upcoming bout at UFC 329 will be contested in a vastly different landscape.
A new weight class and a changed physique
The original fight between McGregor and Holloway was a featherweight contest. For UFC 329, both fighters will step into the welterweight division, a jump that means combatants will weigh approximately 25lbs more than in their initial featherweight bout. This move to 170lbs has been a long time coming for McGregor, who has visibly added significant muscle to his frame, preparing for this weight class for years.
His intent to compete at welterweight was evident even two years ago when a planned fight against Michael Chandler was contracted at 170lbs. That bout was ultimately canceled due to McGregor breaking a toe, delaying his welterweight debut. His long-time coach, John Kavanagh, has been unequivocal about McGregor’s future weight class, stating that “his fighter will never return to 155lbs.” This commitment suggests a permanent move to the welterweight division for the remainder of his career.
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Underdog status and career legacy
McGregor, who has previously captured both the featherweight and lightweight UFC titles, faces a formidable opponent in Max Holloway, himself a former featherweight champion and BMF title holder. Despite McGregor’s impressive career record of 10 UFC victories, only two of those wins have extended beyond the second round. This Saturday, he enters the Octagon as a sizeable underdog, according to analysis by Nick Sutherland, a combat sports writer for GIVEMESPORT.
The stakes are high for McGregor as he looks to re-establish himself in the UFC, not just returning from injury but also adapting to a new weight class against a top-tier opponent in Holloway. His physical transformation and the definitive move to welterweight represent a new chapter for one of the sport’s most iconic figures.
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