UFC president Dana White shared his reaction to the return of MMA superstar Conor McGregor, who fights Max Holloway at UFC 329 next month.
McGregor has not fought since UFC 264 in July 2021, when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight. He was supposed to fight in 2024 against Michael Chandler after coaching opposite his rival on “The Ultimate Fighter,” but he pulled out with an injury, and the fight never happened.
Now, five years after the last time he stepped inside the Octagon, McGregor is back at UFC 329 in July when he battles Holloway in a rematch, and White couldn’t be more excited.
Dana White Happy to See Conor McGregor Back in the UFC
Speaking to reporters in Washington, D.C., ahead of Sunday’s UFC Freedom 250 event, White couldn’t contain his excitement to see the UFC’s biggest cash cow step back inside the Octagon.
“Listen, Conor, you guys know as well as I do, I mean he’s a (expletive) powerhouse, man. I mean, when he’s involved, tickets (for UFC 329), as soon as they went on sale, went flying,” White said.
“We put Power Slap on sale. Power Slap sold out in an hour. So we added 250 or 200 more tickets, sold out in 15 minutes.
“I’m sure that everything that’s going on in Vegas, International Fight Week, is selling out. So it’s great to have Conor back.”
White also revealed that UFC 329, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, is expected to break the all-time gate record for a UFC event, which is currently held by UFC 304: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili, which sold $21.8 million worth of tickets.
“(UFC 329) should break the record. The record is the Sphere right now. And this should break the Sphere record,” White said.
Conor McGregor is a Big Underdog in His Return
Although McGregor’s return is very exciting, the sportsbooks are highly doubting his chances of being victorious.
The current betting odds see McGregor as a +250 favorite, with Holloway as a -300 favorite.
Given McGregor’s five-year layoff, waning durability, and questionable cardio, it makes sense that Holloway is the favorite to win this fight, since he has been far more active, is younger, and is the more well-rounded MMA fighter.
But McGregor has a legitimate puncher’s chance, so you can’t completely write him off in this fight. He’s going to have a chance to get his hand raised if he can keep it standing and land a big knockout blow.
The chances aren’t great, but it’s certainly possible, and that’s why fans are going to tune in on July 11 when McGregor fights Holloway in a rematch that is 13 years in the making.
A win for McGregor, and you can see him calling out UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev to try and win a third UFC title. He might not get it, but he’ll certainly ask.
A loss, though, would be another setback for McGregor, who enters this bout on a two-fight losing skid to Poirier. But even if he loses, fans will still want to see him fight, so in the end, McGregor is always a winner, as the box-office ticket sales show.
Dana White Reacts to Conor McGregor’s Return at UFC 329