3 key UFC 329 times for Conor McGregor’s comeback

Conor McGregor’s first UFC fight in five years will unfold deep into Sunday morning for viewers in Britain. The UFC 329 main card begins at 2am BST on Sunday, 12 July, although McGregor’s exact walkout time has not been confirmed. He faces Max Holloway at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, 13 years after winning their first meeting.

What We Know So Far

UFC 329 starts with the early preliminary fights at 10pm BST on Saturday, converted from the official 2pm Pacific start published by the UFC. The preliminary card follows at midnight BST, with the five-fight main card beginning at 2am BST on Sunday. British viewers should not treat 2am as McGregor’s walkout time: four main-card bouts are scheduled before the five-round headliner.

The BBC says its coverage will be available from 03:00 GMT on Sunday, 12 July through the BBC Sport website and app. The supplied reports do not give a confirmed UK broadcast platform for the entire card, while UFC and US reports list Paramount+ for American viewers.

McGregor officially weighed 170.5lb, with Holloway at 170lb, clearing the final formal obstacle before their non-title welterweight bout. The Irishman has not competed since breaking his tibia against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. A proposed 2024 comeback against Michael Chandler was postponed after McGregor suffered a toe injury and was never rearranged.

Holloway enters the rematch at 34 and is making his official welterweight debut. McGregor defeated him by unanimous decision when they fought as featherweights in 2013, before either man had won a UFC championship. Their second meeting therefore carries a different physical challenge, with both competing well above the division in which their rivalry began.

Voices & Opinions

McGregor has presented the contest as the beginning of another championship pursuit, despite winning only one of his past four fights. At the pre-fight press conference, he described himself as the former simultaneous two-division champion seeking an unprecedented new achievement.

“The OG champ-champ, coming for the triple crown. Sounds like a hell of a story to me.”

Holloway’s position is more direct: he wants revenge and the possibility of a third fight after levelling their series. Predictions are divided across the MMA community, but one detailed MMA Fighting assessment selected Holloway by third-round knockout, citing his recent activity and McGregor’s five-year absence.

“I’m drowning his a**.”

Local Impact

For viewers in Britain, UFC 329 is effectively an overnight event rather than a Saturday-night broadcast. Anyone watching the full card faces a schedule stretching from 10pm on Saturday into the early hours of Sunday, with the headline fight expected only after the preceding main-card contests have finished.

There is also British interest beneath the main event. Liverpool lightweight Paddy Pimblett faces Benoît Saint Denis in the co-main event, while London flyweight Lone’er Kavanagh meets former title challenger Brandon Royval. Those bouts give UK audiences prominent home interest before McGregor enters the octagon.

Coming Up

The early preliminaries begin at 10pm BST, followed by the prelims at midnight and the main card at 2am on Sunday. McGregor versus Holloway is scheduled for five rounds and closes the 14-fight programme. The precise main-event walkout depends on the duration of the earlier bouts and has not been published in the supplied sources.

At a Glance

• Early prelims begin at 10pm BST on Saturday.
• The preliminary card begins at midnight BST on Sunday.
• The main card starts at 2am BST on Sunday.
• McGregor versus Holloway is the final fight, with no confirmed walkout time.
• McGregor weighed 170.5lb and Holloway weighed 170lb.
• Paddy Pimblett and Lone’er Kavanagh also represent British interest.