Conor McGregor has revealed that he already knows the date of his next UFC fight beyond his scheduled return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in July, saying he has one bout remaining on his current contract with the promotion.
The former two-division UFC champion is set to end a five-year absence from competition when he faces Holloway in the main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, McGregor said his current deal includes a second fight after UFC 329, which is currently planned for April 2027.
“Right now, I am contracted, and I have both dates,” said McGregor, according to MMA Fighting. “I have both dates for my fight. I have July 11 — when would you think they would put me back in? April, 2027! It’s almost a year later! That’s ridiculous to me.”
McGregor said the lengthy gap between fights was a result of the terms of his contract and indicated he would prefer to compete again before the end of 2026. “I don’t care who the opponent is. Give it to me at the end of the year,” said McGregor. “July, end of year. Boom. Let’s go to a new deal. And then f*cking April. How many weeks in a year? 50-f*cking-2. So 52 fights, a fight a week. I want to get going here, and I hope to get going. Please, God, I fancy it. I fancy my ability to do it.”
The Dubliner also suggested he intends to explore free agency when his current UFC contract expires unless the promotion presents what he described as an “unbelievable deal.” “I’m happy, to an extent,” said McGregor. “There’s a lot more there. I hope it’s with the UFC. I hope we come to something. I hope I get honoured even more. I’m going to prove even more so what I’m about.” He added: “I love the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and I’d love to continue. Let’s see how it goes.” For now, McGregor’s immediate focus remains his comeback bout against Holloway, saying he is concentrating on his return rather than future contract discussions. “I have July 11,” said McGregor. “It’s only around the corner. That’s positivity, happiness. I don’t want to go too much into all of that. I’ve got the fight, I’ve got the date, I feel great. Bring it on, baby.”
