Las Vegas — Conor McGregor’s first pre-fight press conference in five years had the former double-champ back to being his usual, boisterous self, complete with an entertaining bit of banter with opponent Max Holloway.
Holloway might actually be the perfect opponent for McGregor’s comeback: entertaining enough in his own right, but not about to let things get ugly. Though that was put to the test when Holloway showed up to their face-off wearing a life jacket, the message clear: get ready for deep waters. A hand slap and bit of a push followed, but nothing too crazy. No UFC 229 vibes.
Prior to that, the exchanges between the two were colorful, yet far from hostile. “This is why I’m back: for the love of the game, and the love of the fans,” McGregor stated at the start of Thursday’s presser, with Cageside Press on hand.
“It’s great to be back here in Las Vegas. Five years out, but I’m fighting since I come out of the womb, and I’ll be fighting until the day I go out. So this is another day for McGregor, baby.”
McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg in a fight with Dustin Poirier back in 2021 (a failed comeback in 2024, at UFC 303, saw him break his toe just weeks out from the fight). “This is a different level I’m coming back here. I’ve got a lot to prove here, and who am I proving it to? Myself. So you’re up against it,” he told Holloway, with two custom UFC championship belts, designed to match the colors of Ireland.
As for what McGregor is working towards, “the OG champ-champ going for the triple crown sounds like a hell of a story to me,” he exclaimed.
Of course, that would mean vying for the welterweight title. Countryman Ian Machado Garry fights Islam Makhachev for the UFC’s 170lb title next month, which was brought to McGregor’s attention.
“I appreciate the UFC, I appreciate Dana, I appreciate my opponents. And they’re all my opponents up here, don’t get it twisted. They’re all angling for a fight with the big boss. Let’s be real. On the Machado fellow, I wish him well. I hope we do it. Go for Ireland.”
Conor McGregor has called his return the greatest comeback in sports history, though that will likely depend on how it plays out on Saturday. “We’re coming in to win spectacularly, for sure,” he stated. “That’s it. I’m coming in for it all. All the marbles are on the line here. This is for all the marbles. So I’m coming in with a missile.”
In the fight itself, he predicted “destruction” of an opponent he first faced in 2013, winning a unanimous decision at the time. Since then, both have gone on to win titles in the UFC, though neither holds any belt at the moment. “I’m going to destroy Max. I’m going to eliminate Max. The final opponent of mine still within the UFC ranks. All of my other opponents are gone; Max is the last one left. And on Saturday night, he gets eliminated for good.”
He’d later admit to lacking fulfillment without fighting in his life. In perhaps the moment honest moment of the press conference, McGregor was asked if he feels fulfilled being back in the fight game.
“Yes. Yes I do. I’m home, I’m full, I’m filling the belly up again. Fighting is the greatest sport on planet earth. It’s great to be home.”
UFC 329, headlined by Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2, arrives on Saturday, July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV.
