McGregor brushes off Gaethje challenge as Holloway comeback at UFC 329 now puts title future in focus

McGregor dismissed Gaethje’s challenge and turned his attention toward UFC’s “triple crown”

Conor McGregor, ahead of his return to the Octagon at UFC 329, showed no interest in a quick showdown with Justin Gaethje, even though the new lightweight champion publicly stated that he wants a bout with the Irish star. According to theScore’s report from the media day held on July 8, 2026, McGregor said that he is “not thinking at all right now” about that fight and raised the question of whether he would even cut back down to the lightweight limit of 155 pounds, or approximately 70 kilograms. In the same appearance, he spoke about the possibility of chasing the welterweight title, which would allow him to try to add a third UFC title in a third weight class to his already established legacy as a former featherweight and lightweight champion. Such an answer does not completely close the door to a possible meeting with Gaethje, but it clearly shows that McGregor is publicly setting different priorities at this moment. His statement further increased interest in UFC 329, because the question of future fights is now tied directly to the outcome of his comeback bout with Max Holloway.

The return at UFC 329 comes after five years away

According to UFC’s official announcement, the event UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 takes place on July 11, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and the main event of the evening is scheduled in the welterweight division. UFC announced that the early preliminary program begins at 5 p.m. Eastern Time in the United States of America, the preliminary portion at 7 p.m., and the main card at 9 p.m., with broadcast on Paramount+. For McGregor, this is his first entry into the Octagon since July 2021, when at UFC 264 he lost to Dustin Poirier after a doctor stoppage at the end of the first round due to a serious injury to his left leg. UFC’s official report on that fight states that McGregor fell after an exchange of strikes and that referee Herb Dean stopped the bout at the expiration of the first round. Because of that injury, the long recovery, and a series of postponements, his return against Holloway carries competitive and commercial weight greater than that of a usual comeback appearance.

UFC 329 also carries a strong rematch narrative because McGregor and Holloway first met back on August 17, 2013, at the event UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen. According to UFC data and MMA Fighting’s report from that period, McGregor then won by unanimous decision after three rounds, in a featherweight bout held before both men became UFC champions. Thirteen years later, their second fight takes place in an entirely different context: McGregor returns after the longest layoff of his career, while Holloway enters as one of the most experienced and most active fighters of his generation. In the event announcement, UFC especially emphasized that Holloway has the most total time spent in UFC fights, which further highlights the difference between his continuous activity and McGregor’s long absence. Precisely for that reason, the outcome of this bout will not be only a sporting result, but also a signal of how competitive McGregor still is at the top of the organization after his recovery.

Gaethje wants a big fight, McGregor publicly pushes him into the background

Justin Gaethje enters this storyline as the new holder of UFC’s lightweight belt. According to UFC’s official report, Gaethje defeated Ilia Topuria on June 14, 2026, at the event UFC Freedom 250 by stoppage after the fourth round, after Topuria did not continue the fight, thereby winning the undisputed lightweight title. That result changed the picture of the 155-pound division and placed Gaethje back at the center of discussions about the biggest possible fights in UFC. In the weeks after winning the belt, the American fighter expressed his desire for a meeting with McGregor, and theScore reported his statement that he would “love to punch Conor McGregor in the face”. For Gaethje, such a bout would have double value: defending his status as champion against the biggest commercial name in MMA and getting the opportunity to further strengthen his own position after one of the most important triumphs of his career.

McGregor, however, did not accept that narrative. According to theScore’s report from the UFC 329 media day, he told Gaethje to “get in line”, acknowledged that the American has the lightweight belt, but at the same time reminded him of his loss to Holloway at UFC 300. In that fight, held in April 2024, Holloway knocked Gaethje out in the closing moments of the fifth round, and UFC’s official video and reports from specialized media describe that finish as one of the most dramatic moments in the organization’s modern history. McGregor used that defeat as a rhetorical weapon, suggesting that Gaethje has no right to act from a position of superiority while his biography contains such a striking loss to the fighter McGregor is now preparing to face. The tone of his reaction was distinctly dismissive, but beneath the usual verbal provocation there is also a clear strategic message: McGregor does not want the lightweight champion to determine the direction of his career before he himself returns to competitive rhythm.

The dilemma around lightweight changes the potential plans

The key question is not only whether McGregor wants a fight against Gaethje, but whether he can and wants to compete again at lightweight. The 155-pound limit was the stage for his historic capture of a second UFC belt, but after five years without a fight and recovery from a serious injury, returning to that weight carries a different physical and sporting risk. According to theScore’s report, McGregor openly said that he is not sure whether he would cut back down to that division again. Such a sentence is important because it suggests that a potential bout with Gaethje cannot be viewed only through market appeal, but also through real sporting conditions. If McGregor remains at welterweight after Holloway, a fight with the lightweight champion becomes more complicated to arrange, unless UFC were to try to create a special bout outside the standard logic of divisional rankings.

McGregor’s public desire for a “triple crown” points to the possibility that he is more attracted by an assault on the welterweight belt than by a return to the division in which Gaethje is the current champion. As a former featherweight and lightweight champion, McGregor already belongs to the narrow circle of fighters who have won UFC titles in two divisions. A third belt would be an exceptionally rare feat and a sporting argument that would surpass even the standard value of a major commercial fight. Still, such a scenario remains, for now, more of an ambition than a concrete plan, because it depends on the result against Holloway, the state of the welterweight division, and UFC’s decisions about the next challengers. In that sense, Gaethje’s challenge is currently more part of a broader discussion about McGregor’s future than an immediately scheduled direction.

Holloway is the link that further complicates the story

Max Holloway has an unusually important role in this situation because he is directly connected to both fighters. McGregor defeated him in 2013, but now returns against him after the longest break of his career. Gaethje lost to Holloway in 2024 by knockout in the final seconds of the fight for the BMF belt, which McGregor now uses as an argument against the idea that the current lightweight champion should be waiting for him right around the corner. According to MMA Fighting, the official finish of that fight came at 4:59 of the fifth round, which gave the ending an almost cinematic drama and made it one of the most frequently mentioned scenes of UFC 300. That is why Holloway is not only McGregor’s next opponent, but also the measure through which McGregor publicly evaluates Gaethje’s value.

For Holloway, UFC 329 is an opportunity to directly change his own relationship with McGregor and, with a victory, erase part of the historical burden from their first meeting. For McGregor, it is a test of his comeback, but also a possible beginning of a new campaign toward a bigger title goal. For Gaethje, meanwhile, the outcome of that fight is important because the winner could become the natural target for one of the most lucrative fights UFC can offer. If Holloway defeats McGregor again, the possibility of a new meeting between Holloway and Gaethje could also gain weight, although divisions, belts, and sporting priorities would then have to be aligned. If McGregor wins, public and market pressure would probably turn immediately toward the question of whether he will choose Gaethje, the welterweight title, or some third direction.

UFC balances between the sporting order and the biggest commercial stories

A potential McGregor – Gaethje bout perfectly shows how UFC often balances between the sporting order and market appeal. Gaethje, as the current lightweight champion, has clear competitive capital, while McGregor, despite his long layoff, remains one of the most recognizable names in the history of combat sports. Under normal circumstances, the champion would wait for a challenger who fought his way through the rankings, but McGregor’s commercial power often changes the usual patterns of fight booking. According to UFC’s official fighter page, McGregor is still presented as a former featherweight and lightweight champion, while Gaethje is listed among the holders of lightweight titles. That combination of old status, current belt, and public callouts makes the story attractive even before any official agreement exists.

UFC, meanwhile, has no need to rush to a final decision. The organization first needs the outcome of UFC 329, because a McGregor loss to Holloway would significantly change the value and logic of the next major fight. A victory, on the other hand, would open almost every option: staying at welterweight, a direct fight for an additional title, a return to lightweight, or a special commercial bout with Gaethje. Gaethje, who won the title only in June 2026, will also have to take into account his obligations toward the division and other potential challengers. For now, the only thing that is clear is that the public exchange of messages is already serving as informal promotion for possible scenarios after July 11.

McGregor’s message says more about controlling the narrative than about a complete rejection

Although McGregor sharply rejected the idea that he is currently thinking about Gaethje, his words do not necessarily mean that the fight will never happen. In his career, verbal positioning has often been part of negotiation and promotional tactics, and belittling opponents has frequently served as a way of taking control of the story. This time the message is especially clear: before any discussion about Gaethje, McGregor wants attention to remain on Holloway, his return, and the possibility of re-entering the title picture. In doing so, he avoids a situation in which the comeback bout would be perceived only as a transitional stop toward the current lightweight champion. For a fighter returning after five years away, such control of the narrative is just as important as the sporting preparation itself.

Gaethje, on the other hand, has a strong enough position that he does not have to wait only for McGregor’s decision. As the current lightweight champion, he can continue building his own run of defenses or wait for the biggest possible fight if UFC judges that the matchup is commercially and sportingly justified. His desire for McGregor is understandable because it would bring global visibility and the biggest financial challenge, but the title he holds also gives him other options. Precisely for that reason, McGregor’s statement does not close the story, but temporarily redirects it. The real answer to the question of whether Gaethje will truly be the next target will come only after McGregor and Holloway complete the fight that will define the next chapter of one of the most followed careers in MMA in Las Vegas.

Sources:
- UFC – official announcement of the event UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2, location, date, and program schedule (link)
- UFC – official report from the event UFC Freedom 250 and the result of the fight Justin Gaethje against Ilia Topuria (link)
- theScore – report from the UFC 329 media day on McGregor’s reaction to Gaethje’s challenge (link)
- UFC – official report from UFC 264 and description of the stoppage in the fight Dustin Poirier against Conor McGregor (link)
- UFC – official video and description of the first fight Conor McGregor against Max Holloway from 2013 (link)
- UFC – official video and description of Max Holloway’s knockout against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 (link)
- MMA Fighting – report on the finish of the fight Max Holloway against Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 (link)