Confirmation of the rematch between McGregor and Holloway at UFC 329? EA Sports teases a stunning trailer for UFC 6 | International Sports News –

A rematch between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway is being targeted at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on July 11, reports veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani and several other media outlets, and the bout is expected to headline International Fight Week at T-Mobile Arena.

This speculation was fueled by the trailer for EA Sports UFC 6, which included a simulated version of the bout, which is widely seen as one of the clearest indications yet of the UFC’s plans, and a fight that has remained one of the most anticipated fights among fans since their first bout in 2013.The proposed fight will be McGregor’s first appearance inside the Octagon since his TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, a bout that left him with a broken leg and extended his absence to nearly five years.

McGregor, a former featherweight, lightweight and interim featherweight champion, was repeatedly linked with comeback plans during that period, although negotiations and injuries have prevented previous returns. The closest he came to fighting came back in June 2024, when he pulled out of a scheduled bout against Michael Chandler after suffering a toe injury.

Holloway’s rematch comes into focus

The current plan would see McGregor face Holloway in a rematch of their first meeting in Boston in 2013, when McGregor defeated the then-young Hawaiian by unanimous decision early in Holloway’s UFC career.

At the time, Holloway was still proving himself within the promotion, while McGregor was beginning the run that would eventually turn him into one of the UFC’s biggest commercial stars. More than a decade later, both fighters return to the proposed rematch with very different resumes.

Holloway is a former BMF and featherweight champion, and his recent performances have kept him near the top of the division despite a long career built on incredible size and durability.

His previous fight ended in defeat to Charles Oliveira in March, although he entered that bout with a unanimous decision win over Poirier, the same opponent who inflicted back-to-back stoppage defeats on McGregor in 2021. Prior to Oliveira’s win, reports indicated that the UFC intended to pit McGregor against the winner of that BMF title fight, but Oliveira’s dominant performance against Holloway created uncertainty around those plans.

However, according to Helwani’s reports, the UFC now intends to go ahead with McGregor vs. Holloway regardless. The bout has already been framed as a very tough contest centered around two fighters known for pressure and foot size, especially given Holloway’s preference for extended exchanges and McGregor’s history as one of the smartest counter-strikers during his championship years.

The UFC 6 trailer adds fuel to the speculation

Discussions about the fight intensified this week after EA Sports released the first trailer for UFC 6, the latest entry in the MMA gaming franchise scheduled to release on PlayStation and Xbox in June. The trailer begins with an extended simulated fight between Holloway and McGregor, a sequence that many fans interpreted as another indication that the UFC expects the real bout to headline UFC 329. In the footage, Holloway drops and finishes an animated version of McGregor with a boxing combination, effectively mirroring the outcome of their first meeting. The trailer later cuts to Alex Pereira’s victory over Ciryl Gane after initially being pressured, with commentator Jon Anik calling out the ending sequence.

Other clips in the trailer show Ilya Topuria landing combinations against Justin Gaethje, Buddy Pimblett and Arman Tsarukyan, while Khabib Nurmagomedov also appears during promotional footage. EA Sports has confirmed Pereira and Holloway as the cover athletes for the standard and final editions of the game. “Former UFC middleweight and lightweight champion Alex Pereira and former UFC featherweight and BMF featherweight champion Max Holloway grace the covers of the Standard and Ultimate Edition, ushering in a new era of fighter character in play, allowing players to experience their fight like never before,” the company said in a statement. “The athletes on this year’s cover showcase a modern standard for elite UFC stardom. Alex Pereira brings his signature blend of precision and raw power to the cover of the Standard Edition, while Max Holloway’s relentless pace and unparalleled size come to life on the Ultimate Edition. Their presence on the covers reflects a new era for the franchise where the action and unique mindset of each athlete is felt in every exchange.”

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Holloway acknowledges the speculation surrounding the McGregor fight

Holloway addressed the rumors himself during an appearance with UFC on Paramount, acknowledging the growing speculation about a proposed July bout while not confirming the signing of contracts. “I see all the talk you guys are seeing, and I haven’t heard anything yet, but this wouldn’t be a bad time,” Holloway said. “We have history, we’ve been fighting for a very long time and I told you guys, if someone gets the better of me, I want them back.”

The former BMF champion, who has often described himself as an avid gamer, also spoke about appearing on the cover of UFC 6 after using combinations from previous UFC titles during training sessions early in his mixed martial arts career. “It means a lot, man,” he said. “I’m a gamer, and when I was a kid, I saw the covers of any video game and I have a history with the UFC… It’s crazy, man, to be here, to be on the cover, dreaming about this as a kid.” Holloway then returned to the topic of McGregor’s return. “I would love to have him back, after all this talk about coming back and everyone talking about how serious he is actually, he seems to be really training and accepting it and really wants to get back to fighting, it’s exciting,” Holloway said. “He looks hungrier, he looks very hungry… I have to recover.” If completed, the fight would pit one of the UFC’s most popular former champions against one of the promotion’s most enduring long-term contenders during the organization’s biggest annual showweek in Las Vegas, more than 13 years after their first meeting in Boston.