Updated July 8, 2026 - 3.43am . First published July 7, 2026 - 8.23pm
This weekend at UFC 329 marks the return of arguably the biggest superstar in combat sports history - the one and only, Conor McGregor .
The unfortunate reality is that many UFC fans who enjoyed his incredible rise to the top of the game are now left conflicted by his return, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the 37-year-old’s ability inside the cage.
Conor McGregor is preparing to end a five-year hiatus. Getty
McGregor is one of the best to ever put on a pair of gloves, becoming the first two-division world champion in UFC history just shy of a decade ago.
The issue is grappling with what McGregor has done away from the cage and the struggle some face separating the man from the fighter.
Rape allegations, court cases, assaults, drunken moments of madness and social media tirades have derailed McGregor’s larger-than-life persona.
On the surface, it should be pretty easy to place a red-line through him for that and never want to see McGregor step into the octagon again, even if the man himself is adamant he has changed his ways and wiped the slate clean.
But unless you were there for the ride, it’s difficult to explain how McGregor impacted millions and managed to become a global phenomenon.
After signing with the UFC as a promising fighter out of Ireland, who at the time had barely been represented in the sport’s biggest promotion, McGregor became an overnight sensation and started rising the featherweight rankings.
With every knockout and witty one-liner in a press conference or interview made McGregor an endearing fighter destined for stardom.
After tearing through a murderer’s row of featherweight contenders, McGregor put himself in the crosshairs of champion Jose Aldo.
Their rivalry became one of the biggest stories in world sport at the time and it was hard not to get swept up in the pandemonium as McGregor and Aldo both sat in hostile environments in Rio de Janeiro and Dublin to promote their fight.
Once the cage door locked in November 2015 after nearly a year’s worth of build-up, it created the most iconic moment in UFC history when McGregor landed a perfect left hand that knocked out the champion in just 13 seconds .
From there, the rocket was strapped to McGregor’s back as the unchallenged face of the UFC and he continued to take the company on never-before-seen heights.
He became the first double champ when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez in 2016, before branching out of MMA to become a bona-fide crossover star.
The lead-up to his boxing fight against Floyd Mayweather in 2017 was like nothing that came before it and remains one of the highest-drawing events in history.
But as far as McGregor soared, he crashed and burned even harder.
His demoralising lightweight title loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018 kick-started a chain of events that was lucky not to land McGregor in prison.
The money seemingly got to his head and McGregor started acting with an air of invincibility, while also taking well over a year away from fighting.
COVID derailed his comeback in 2020 and his back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021 - the second of which saw him suffer a gruesome broken leg - put an end to the McGregor era and ever since, it’s been controversy after controversy.
McGregor was found civilly liable for sexual assault relating to an alleged 2018 incident involving Nikita Hand , where he was ordered to pay $410,000 AUD in damages and another $2.5 million to cover the claimant’s legal fees.
Add to that another alleged sexual assault at a Miami Heat game in 2023 , as well as arrests for other crimes including a 2019 assault and 2022 driving offences, and it’s been a truly sobering fall from grace for one of sport’s biggest stars.
Conor McGregor has spent more time in court than the cage lately. Getty
His own country of Ireland has largely turned its back on McGregor and many who jumped on the bandwagon more than a decade ago have jumped off.
As a result, his return this weekend against Max Holloway , has divided opinion and many believe the UFC shouldn’t be bringing McGregor back into the fold.
The uncomfortable truth is it’s all about dollar signs. He’s a licence to print money for the UFC and has millions, if not billions, of people following his every move.
Make no mistake, this is purely and simply all about business, with respected combat sports journalist Dave Meltzer summing it up best.
“I think the thing that hits me is just how differently Ireland and the US view the guy after the civil case results. One place total persona non grata, other place nothing matters if he can draw money,” Meltzer said via X.
Everyone will have their say - positive, negative or indifferent - about the return of “The Notorious” this Sunday afternoon (AEST) in Las Vegas.
But the reality is that “Foggy Dew” and “Hypnotize” will play loudly at T-Mobile Arena, McGregor will walk to the cage to thunderous cheers and the bell will ring.
His transgressions, at least in the moment, will be largely brushed over when McGregor and Holloway start trading punches.
Conor McGregor and Max Holloway fought each other in 2013. Getty
And while many believe his five-year hiatus will be too much to overcome, it would be wise not to write off McGregor just yet.
“If anybody can come back after five years, put it all together, and start winning against the best guys, it’s Conor,” long-time rival Poirier told One of One MMA .
“He’s a special individual. Even though he’s a horrible person and I don’t like him, he has some god-given gifts.”
If he pulls off a victory, don’t expect this fight to be the end for McGregor. If anything, it will put him back on the path towards UFC gold once again and we’ll be having these same difficult conversations on a more regular basis.
This weekend at UFC 329 marks the return of arguably the biggest superstar in combat sports history - the one and only, .
The unfortunate reality is that many fans who enjoyed his incredible rise to the top of the game are now left conflicted by his return, and it has absolutely nothing to do with the 37-year-old’s ability inside the cage.
The issue is grappling with and the struggle some face separating the man from the fighter.
Once the cage door locked in November 2015 after nearly a year’s worth of build-up, it created the most iconic moment in UFC history when .
The lead-up to his boxing fight against in 2017 was like nothing that came before it and remains one of the highest-drawing events in history.
His demoralising lightweight title in October 2018 kick-started a chain of events that was lucky not to land McGregor in prison.
COVID derailed his comeback in 2020 and his back-to-back losses to in 2021 - - put an end to the McGregor era and ever since, it’s been controversy after controversy.
, where he was ordered to pay $410,000 AUD in damages and another $2.5 million to cover the claimant’s legal fees.
Add to that another , as well as arrests for other crimes including a 2019 assault and 2022 driving offences, and it’s been a truly sobering fall from grace for one of sport’s biggest stars.
As a result, , has divided opinion and many believe the UFC shouldn’t be bringing McGregor back into the fold.
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