Why question marks hang over McGregor's UFC return

Conor McGregor before his fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption,

Conor McGregor has not won since beating Donald Cerrone in 2020

ByPaul BattisonBBC Sport journalist

Published5 minutes ago

When Conor McGregor steps into the octagon to face Max Holloway after a five-year absence on Sunday, it will be a bittersweet moment for many fans.

On one hand it is the return of the biggest star in mixed martial arts history, with McGregor central to the sport's rise in popularity.

The Irishman was the UFC's first simultaneous two-weight world champion, while his brash and witty personality captivated fans like no MMA fighter before him.

But for all McGregor's achievements within the sport, his career has been dogged by controversy.

From court cases, where McGregor lost a civil jury appeal against a finding at the High Court in Dublin that he had sexually assaulted a woman in a Dublin hotel, to a failed presidential run and missed drugs tests, a number of incidents have cast large question marks over his legacy.

Now 37, his fight against Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas will complete his return from a career-threatening leg break.

The bout is headlining the UFC's flagship International Fight Week card, illustrating how much Dana White's promotion values McGregor, but critics have questioned whether he still deserves the spotlight.

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A career of controversy

McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg in defeat by Dustin Poirier in 2021, but he has featured in the headlines since.

In November 2024, Nikita Hand, who accused McGregor of raping her, won her claim against him for damages for assault by rape in a civil case.

A jury found that McGregor sexually assaulted Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018 and he was ordered to pay her £206,000 plus damages.

McGregor lost his civil jury appeal in July 2025 and Hand announced the following month her intention to sue him and two other people for damages, alleging they engaged in malicious abuse of court processes.

Despite losing his appeal, McGregor continues to accuse Hand and her lawyers of lying, while Hand said she was "retraumatised over and over again" by the trial.

When asked this week if he understood why people were uncomfortable with him in the spotlight following the outcome of the civil case, McGregor said: "I'm an innocent man and I'll stand for my innocence until the day I go out.

"There is a reason it didn't go where it went and it went to a civil trial. It is what it is. It stings deep. I continue to fight. I know the truth and I know that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord and I know that anything in the darkness will soon come to light."

Last year, McGregor also accepted an 18-month ban for violating the UFC's anti-doping policy after missing three drugs tests within a 12-month period in 2024.

The ban, which was backdated to the third missed test in September 2024, concluded in March.

McGregor has been tested 14 times, external by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) this year - more than any other fighter on the UFC's roster.

In 2019, he was convicted and fined €1,000 (£850) for punching a man who rejected his offer of a drink in a Dublin pub.

Some commentators argue that support for McGregor within Ireland, where he had been thought of as a trailblazer during his rise to fame, has dwindled.

Last March, Irish political leaders said McGregor "does not speak for Ireland" after he criticised the country's immigration policy, while in September he ended his bid to run for president.

"I'm not here to win anyone back, I'm here to represent my country. What is taking place in Ireland is the saddest story in the West," McGregor said in a news conference this week.

The UFC's moneymaker

Despite his controversies, UFC chiefs appear to believe McGregor will still draw eyes to the sport and make the promotion money without affecting the brand.

Last year, White gave no indication, external that McGregor's civil case verdict would impact his UFC career.

Before the UFC's deal with Paramount started in January this year, McGregor's fights formed eight of the top-10 highest selling pay-per-views in the promotion's history, according to Forbes., external

In 2021, McGregor was the highest paid athlete in the world, earning just under £128m over 12 months, but he says his return against Holloway is about his love for the sport.

"The challenge ahead of me is colossal. I'm entering with supreme confidence. It's magnificent; the fire is in my belly roaring, and it's about to be released on Saturday night," McGregor said.

Many journalists in Vegas have chosen not to hold McGregor to account on his controversies during fight week, but it remains to be seen what reception he will receive from fans.

McGregor rose to fame after winning his first five fights in the UFC, before beating Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title in 2015.

He then knocked out Jose Aldo for the undisputed belt five months later in only 13 seconds - the fastest finish in UFC title fight history.

After becoming a double champion in 2016, McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather the following year in a lucrative boxing bout, before defeat by Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 in the biggest-selling UFC pay-per-view of all time.

But a win over Donald Cerrone two years later remains his only victory in the last nine years.

With inactivity during his recovery from a broken leg, coupled with the world class resume of Holloway - who is regarded as one of the best UFC fighters of all time - there are suspicions McGregor will be a shade of the fighter he once was when he competes at the T-Mobile Arena.

For much of McGregor's career inside and outside the octagon he has brushed aside his critics, an attitude which has not changed.

"I outworked doubt," said McGregor.

"Doubt only builds if you do not put the work in, so I make sure I put the work in. Our preparation for this bout has been very meticulous."