The biggest name in the sport returns to the octagon for the first time in five years in one of the most anticipated fights in the history of the UFC.
Conor McGregor became the first person to hold two UFC championships simultaneously when he beat Eddie Alverez in in 2016 but has fought just four times since.
He takes on Max Holloway at welterweight on Sunday in Las Vegas and we have assessed that fight, as well as the entire main card below.
These two first competed against each other in August 2013 in Boston, a fight that McGregor won by unanimous decision.
Holloway would go on to win his next 13 straight fights including winning the UFC Featherweight title and defended that belt twice during that period.
McGregor would win seven of his next eight, hold both the Featherweight and Lightweight UFC championships at once and become the biggest sports star on the planet.
Things changed dramatically for the Irish superstar however and since 2017 he has fought just four times for just the single win against an ageing Cowboy Cerrone.
In that same time period Max Holloway has 16 fights inside the octagon.
12 of those fights were for some form of belt and 10 of them were wins including Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo.
Conor McGregor’s best attributes have always been his counter punching and timing and while it’s near impossible to estimate whether he will be near anything that resembles his best, it’s safe to say his best chance is to land that one knock out blow.
We know Max Holloway will apply plenty of pressure with his volume punching and he will attempt to overwhelm his opponent with his cardio.
If he avoids the big shots, he can get a finish in the later rounds or win a unanimous decision.
Best Bet: Max Holloway To Win In Rounds 3, 4 or by decision @ $3.10
The co-main event features Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett who we last saw soundly beaten by Justin Gaethje for the UFC interim Lightweight title in January.
It was his first loss in the UFC since he made his debut back in 2021 with as much hype as Conor McGregor did when he entered the promotion.
He earned that interim title shot off the back of seven straight wins and while he lost that fight to the now champion Gaethje he lost few admirers with his tenacity and courage to fight through adversity through the full five rounds.
Benoit Saint-Denis put together five straight wins shortly after making his UFC debut in 2021 but back to back losses to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano put a halt to his momentum.
Since then he has managed four wins in his last four fights and all of them have been finishes against high class fighters in the division.
Both of these competitors are well rounded and have the weapons to finish this fight but their grappling abilities may cancel each other out meaning this fight takes place mainly on the feet.
I give the edge to BSD in pure striking but Pimblett has evolved dramatically in this regard in the last couple of years.
Best Bet: Fight To End In KO/TKO @ $2.50
Perennial Bantamweight title challenger Cory Sandhagen is looking to ascend the rankings once again in order to get a third shot at UFC gold.
He’s had four attempts at either title eliminator fights or challenge for the actual belt for four losses but his experience at the top level of the division can not be ignored.
Mario Bautista made his UFC debut against Sandhagen in 2019 and lost via first round arm bar submission but he has improved dramatically in that time.
The problem for Bautista is, so has Sandhagen.
Cory is an awkward striker who comes at his opponents with different looks and a brutal Muay Thai style but he is capable of submissions off his back as well.
I just think he has too many avenues to victory and weapons at his disposal and although he is nearing the twilight of his career, he wins.
Best Bet: Cory Sandhagen To Win @ $1.68
Like Sandhagen, Brandon Royval has been at the top of his division for the longest time without holding the belt.
He lost twice to former champion Alexandre Pantoja, once for the belt, but has a win and a loss against Brandon Moreno, the latest of which was a close split decision victory in 2024.
He followed that win with another against Tasturo Taira, again by split decision, but has lost his last two against Joshua Van and Manel Kape.
Lone’er Kavanagh is a 27 year old English kickboxer who won a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024.
He was undefeated in nine pro MMA fights including two in the UFC before he was knocked out by Charles Johnson this time last year.
A late call up to fight former UFC Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City earlier this year paid dividends when he won the fight via unanimous decision and he now gets the biggest fight of his career on the main card of a Conor McGregor fight night.
Nine of Royval’s 17 career wins have been via submission and we are getting great odds on this result but Kavanagh is a slick striker who is always a knockout chance.
Best Bet: Royval By Submission Or Kavanagh By KO/TKO @ $2.45
Fan favourite King Green continues his remarkable career at 39 years of age and he is still finding a way to win!
Brutal first round losses to Paddy Pimblett by submission and Mauricio Ruffy via spinning wheel kick had many believing his storied career may be over but he comes into this fight having won his last three in a row.
The latest win was a first round submission against Jeremy Stephens.
There may not be a more dangerous first round fighter in the entire UFC than Terrence Mckinney and his last seven fights have failed to see a second round.
All 18 of his pro MMA wins have been by KO/TKO or submission and all but one have been in the very first round.
He has a live by the sword, die by the sword attitude but his pressure and well rounded style will be too much for Bobby Green at this stage of his career in my opinion.
Best Bet: Terrence McKinney To Win @ $1.62