McGregor Claims Innocence Over $260,000 Assault Verdict as UFC 329 Return Nears

Q: Will this fight cement McGregor as an all-time great or confirm his long decline since his last major victory?

A win over Max Holloway would strengthen McGregor’s legacy, but it would not by itself settle the all-time-great debate; a loss would much more clearly reinforce the view that his elite years are behind him. McGregor already has a historic résumé: he was the UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champion and one of the sport’s biggest stars. But the gap between fame and legacy is the issue here. He has only one victory since 2016, has not fought in five years, never defended either UFC title, and is returning at 37 after a severe leg break. Those are serious facts weighing against the idea that one comeback win alone can erase a long period of decline. The matchup matters because Holloway is a credible measuring stick. He is one of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, and McGregor beat him once before, back in 2013. If McGregor defeats Holloway now, after the layoff and injury, it would be one of the most impressive comeback wins of his career and prove he is still capable of beating a top-level name. It would revive his standing and reopen title talk. But “cementing” all-time greatness likely requires more than that. Given the inactivity, the losses to Dustin Poirier, and the questions about how his game has aged, McGregor would probably need to follow a Holloway win with another major result—especially against a top contender or champion. So the stakes are asymmetrical: victory revives and upgrades his legacy; defeat confirms the decline narrative.

3 articles · Updated · MMA Junkie · Jul 9

Conor McGregor told reporters at a UFC 329 pre-fight news conference that he is innocent and will keep fighting the 2024 Irish civil verdict that found him liable for sexual assault.
The questions stem from a 2018 Dublin hotel incident in which Nikita Hand accused McGregor of choking and raping her; a jury ordered him to pay Hand $260,000, and his appeal was denied in July 2025.
McGregor, 37, said alcohol derailed him during his five years away from the cage and credited faith and sobriety for helping him clean up.
The remarks came three days before his five-round welterweight main event against Max Holloway at UFC 329, his first combat-sports appearance since breaking his leg in July 2021.