Conor McGregor's Unpredictable UFC Future Could Change the Business of Fighting Forever

Conor McGregor is set to return to the UFC for the first time in over 5 years at UFC 329 against Max Holloway. While McGregor is in the twilight of his career, he is still a household name and will draw a great deal of attention for that event. The matchup with Holloway, one of the most popular fighters in the UFC himself, has the potential to be an exciting, standup affair.

McGregor's future with the UFC, however, seems murky. According to reporter Ariel Helwani, McGregor turned down a contract extension with the company. He has two fights left on his deal.

While the UFC remains king of MMA, the fight business in general has gotten interesting. Streaming services are showcasing these "one-off" major events in boxing and MMA. Jake Paul's MVP promotion just had the return of Ronda Rousey on Netflix. Oleksandr Usyk fought Rico Verhoeven in a pay-per-view event on DAZN from Egypt.

Rather than developing new fighters and trying to build a promotion the old-fashioned way, it seems like the new route is having these showcase events utilizing free agents. For someone as well-known and polarizing as Conor McGregor, this could be the best way to make the most money in his late 30's.

Much of this will hinge on how he looks against Holloway. As mentioned, it's a good matchup stylistically for McGregor. In the past, McGregor has struggled with grapplers. But Holloway will likely want to stand and trade blows on the feet with The Notorious One. With a good showing, McGregor may want to stick around and make one last title run. A lackluster one may have him chasing the money elsewhere.

Regardless of what path McGregor ultimately chooses, his return at UFC 329 feels like a pivotal moment. MMA is an unforgiving sport where fighters can fall off rapidly, but a strong performance could change everything. What is clear is that the landscape of combat sports is evolving rapidly, and McGregor, ever the businessman, will look to position himself to capitalize on it.

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This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 4:12 PM.