The Conor McGregor UFC return is officially taking shape — and it’s bigger than anyone expected. The Notorious isn’t just coming back for one fight. He’s already got two dates inked into his contract, and the combat sports world is buzzing.
Conor McGregor UFC Return: July 2025 and April 2027 Both Confirmed
McGregor, 37, hasn’t set foot in the Octagon since suffering a broken leg in a TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier back in July 2021. That’s nearly five years on the sidelines. Now he headlines UFC 329 on 11th July in Las Vegas — a welterweight clash against Max Holloway. Massive. But speaking to Uncrowned on Tuesday, McGregor dropped another bombshell: his contract also locks in a second bout for April 2027.
“I have both dates for my fights,” he said. “I have July 11, and when would you think they put me back in? April 2027. It’s almost a year later. That’s ridiculous to me. But this is the way the contract was done.”
Those two fights represent the final bouts on his current deal. McGregor (22-6) has previously taken shots at the UFC for dragging their heels on his comeback, and frankly, a near-year gap between fights for the sport’s biggest draw does raise eyebrows.
McGregor on UFC’s Paramount+ Deal and What Comes Next
Furthermore, the shift away from pay-per-view towards a streaming model with Paramount+ has changed the financial landscape. McGregor didn’t lay out exact figures, but he did address his compensation openly — and characteristically.
“We met in the middle,” he told Uncrowned. “We got a juicy one. Was it what my worth is? Probably not. Was it what they wanted to offer? Definitely not. I’m a fair operator.”
Interestingly, McGregor left the door open for a contract extension beyond April 2027. Should he fight out this deal without renewing, he’d be free to at least entertain offers from rival promotions — though whether he’d ever leave the UFC remains to be seen. For now, the focus is July. McGregor versus Holloway. Las Vegas. The comeback is real.