UFC 329: Max Holloway Opens As Betting Favorite Over Conor McGregor

BusinessSportsMoneyUFC 329: Max Holloway Opens As Betting Favorite Over Conor McGregorByTrent Reinsmith,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Trent Reinsmith is a Baltimore-based writer who covers MMA and hockey.Follow AuthorMay 19, 2026, 05:07pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Conor McGregor of Ireland walks through the arena before his lightweight bought against Dustin Poirier during UFC 264: Poirier v McGregor 3 at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)Getty ImagesOn Saturday, the UFC announced the return of Conor McGregor. The former two-division UFC champion is booked to headline the UFC 329 fight card during International Fight Week in Las Vegas. McGregor faces Max Holloway in that matchup. Holloway, a former UFC featherweight and BMF titleholder moves up to welterweight for the July 11 event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early betting odds for the upcoming matchup have Holloway as a substantial betting favorite over McGregor, who last competed in July 2021. This is not the first time UFC CEO Dana White has announced a McGregor return to the cage. In April 2024, the UFC booked McGregor vs. Michael Chandler for the main event of UFC 303. A month later, White was happy with ticket sales for the event, saying UFC 303, which was booked for June 29, 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, would be the first UFC card to have a live gate of $20 million or more. Things fell apart in mid-June when McGregor withdrew from UFC 303 because of a broken toe. The card, which was headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between then-champion Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka, drew a live gate of $15,909,243.UFC 306 became the first card to top the $20 million live gate number. That event, at Sphere in Las Vegas drew $21,829,245 on an attendance of 16,024.Ticket...