It's been a long road back to the UFC for Conor McGregor, who returns from a five-year layoff against Max Holloway in the UFC 329 main event Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor hasn't stepped into the Octagon since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Five years later, the former two-division champion has the opportunity to rejuvenate his career with a win over Holloway, the former featherweight titleholder whom McGregor has already beaten once before.
But how exactly did we get here? Here's a timeline of key events that led to McGregor's return against Holloway.
July 2021: McGregor breaks leg at UFC 264
McGregor snapped his tibia and fibula in the first round of his trilogy bout with Poirier, leading to a doctor's stoppage loss at UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Irishman was attempting to get back on track from a knockout loss to Poirier earlier that year, but he instead suffered a career-altering injury that would shelve him for the foreseeable future.
McGregor underwent surgery the following day.
July 2021: White offers timetable for McGregor's return
Just days after the fight, UFC CEO Dana White told TMZ that he expected McGregor to be back "in a year."
September 2021: McGregor gives update on recovery
McGregor offered a promising update on his recovery from the broken leg.
"I honestly feel like I could kick right now," he told journalist Adam Glyn. "But I've just got to listen to the doctors, listen to the people that are guiding me. That's what I've done so far. I've committed myself to the work, and I'm back on the feet. It's so good to be back on the feet."
June 2022: White keen on McGregor-Chandler
It was still unclear when McGregor would return to the Octagon almost a full year after UFC 264. However, White expressed interest in a fight between McGregor and Michael Chandler.
"I really like Chandler versus Conor after Chandler's last fight (against Tony Ferguson)," White told TMZ. "There (are) plenty of fights to make. I don't know if that's the one, but we'll see what the landscape looks like when Conor comes back."
White added that he expected McGregor to return in late 2022 or early 2023.
August 2022: McGregor gets 'Road House' acting role
Two months later, McGregor's MMA return seemed to be far from imminent.
McGregor was slated to make his feature film debut in the "Road House" remake, starring alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. Filming would begin in August in the Dominican Republic.
January 2023: Coach anticipates McGregor's return
McGregor's head coach, John Kavanagh, said he was "very, very confident" that McGregor would fight in 2023.
"I'd be willing to bet my house on it," Kavanagh said on "The MMA Hour."
February 2023: McGregor, Chandler to coach 'TUF 31'
White announced that McGregor and Chandler would serve as coaches on "The Ultimate Fighter 31" and then fight at the end of the season.
While no date was set, the wheels were in motion for McGregor's return. However, he was no longer in the USADA drug-testing pool, meaning he'd have to be enrolled for six months - and submit two negative tests - before being eligible to compete.
McGregor vowed to "slice through" Chandler in the Octagon.
July 2023: McGregor eyes Gaethje instead
McGregor set his sights on a fight with Justin Gaethje instead of Chandler.
After Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier to win the BMF title at UFC 291, McGregor called him out on X.
"Justin, I'll slap you around," McGregor wrote.
"F--k Chandler. You want it, call for it," he added.
October 2023: McGregor teases return to USADA pool
McGregor indicated Oct. 4 that he had finally begun the process of re-entering the USADA drug-testing pool, the final hurdle in being eligible to compete again.
"Submitted my stuff to (UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff) Novitzky," he wrote on Instagram. "Ball rolling."
October 2023: Chandler still counting on McGregor fight
In the wake of McGregor teasing his UFC return, Chandler said on "The MMA Hour" that he expected to fight him at UFC 300 in April 2024.
October 2023: UFC, USADA split amid McGregor debacle
USADA announced Oct. 11 that McGregor had officially re-entered the drug-testing pool as of Oct. 8.
However, in a stunning twist, USADA also announced that it would no longer oversee the UFC's anti-doping program effective Jan. 1, 2024, ending an eight-year partnership.
The split came after months of discord between the UFC and USADA about McGregor's eligibility to compete. USADA maintained that he must be in the testing pool for six months, but White suggested the UFC could exempt McGregor from that rule.
USADA CEO Travis T. Tygart said that the two parties' relationship "became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning USADA's principled stance."
October 2023: McGregor gives latest timetable for comeback
McGregor revealed Oct. 28 that it was looking likely that his long-awaited UFC return would happen in spring 2024.
"They're saying April now," McGregor told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn. "I'm happy with April. I would've loved earlier, but I have to be - if I'm to be honest and be realistic, and for my fans, I want to put in a good run. Build myself back."
McGregor added that sitting on the sidelines for two-and-a-half years had been "beyond frustrating."
"I must return to my way of living," he said. "This is my job."
December 2023: McGregor announces Chandler fight
McGregor said on New Year's Eve that he would be fighting Chandler in a middleweight bout at the UFC's annual International Fight Week event June 29 in Las Vegas.
However, the promotion didn't formally announce the fight.
February 2024: White says McGregor-Chandler pushed back
Over a month went by without the UFC providing any clarification about the status of McGregor-Chandler.
White made an appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show" and said that the fight still didn't have a date. He added that he hoped it would take place in the fall.
March 2024: McGregor says Chandler fight set for summer
McGregor said the UFC confirmed that the long-awaited fight with Chandler would take place in the summer.
"We got confirmation a few days ago that it's all systems go," McGregor told ESPN's Marc Raimondi.
April 2024: McGregor-Chandler finally official
It took a while to get there, but the UFC announced that McGregor would face Chandler in a welterweight bout at UFC 303 on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
June 2024: McGregor-Chandler in jeopardy
After a press conference featuring McGregor and Chandler on June 3 in Dublin was abruptly postponed, rumors began swirling on social media that the fight was in jeopardy.
MMA journalist Ariel Helwani reported June 4 that the UFC had "sent out feelers" for potential replacements.
A week later, there were still no answers. Helwani said June 12 on "The MMA Hour" that the fight was "very much in limbo."
June 2024: McGregor-Chandler canceled
White announced June 13 that McGregor was out of the UFC 303 main event due to an injury.
The promotion booked a light heavyweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka as the new headliner.
Helwani reported that McGregor suffered an injury "about a day or so" before the scheduled press conference.
June 2024: McGregor reveals broken toe
McGregor revealed June 21 that a broken toe forced him out of the fight with Chandler.
"We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear, and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean," McGregor wrote on Instagram.
July 2024: McGregor wants to fight before end of year
McGregor said he will "for sure" return to the Octagon against Chandler before the end of 2024.
"I talked to Dana today about our new date, all looking good," McGregor wrote on X.
August 2024: McGregor's return delayed again
In yet another twist, White said McGregor won't fight again until 2025.
"We talked. He wants to fight. We'll figure it out," White told reporters. "Not this year. He won't fight this year."
September 2024: Chandler moves on from McGregor
After putting his career on hold for almost two years in hopes of securing a megafight against McGregor, Chandler decided it was time to move on.
Chandler agreed to a rematch with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 on Nov. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
White said he expected McGregor to fight in "early 2025" and didn't rule out rebooking the Chandler matchup.
September 2024: McGregor wants two fights in 2025
McGregor said he was confident he'd fight twice and finish his current UFC contract in 2025.
"I must," McGregor said, eager to end the longest layoff of his career.
November 2024: McGregor found civilly liable for sexual assault
A civil jury in Ireland found that McGregor sexually assaulted a woman, Nikita Hand, in a Dublin hotel in 2018. Hand was awarded nearly 250,000 Euros ($257,000).
McGregor testified in court that he never forced Hand to do anything against her will. He testified that she fabricated the allegations after they had consensual sex.
Proper No. Twelve, the whiskey brand, disassociated from McGregor after he was found civilly liable for sexual assault.
March 2025: McGregor focused on politics, not UFC return
McGregor said his focus shifted away from MMA competition and toward politics in his home country of Ireland.
"I'm happy with what I've done (in the UFC)," McGregor said. "There's something else for me that's in my gut right now. That's kind of where I'm going. So we'll see. Greatness doesn't rush."
July 2025: McGregor loses appeal in civil case
An Irish court reportedly dismissed McGregor's appeal in the civil sexual assault case.
October 2025: UFC suspends McGregor for anti-doping violation
The UFC announced that McGregor accepted an 18-month suspension for a violation of the promotion's anti-doping policy.
The ban was retroactive to Sept. 20, 2024, and was slated to end March 20, 2026.
McGregor missed three drug tests within a 12-month period in 2024, leading to the suspension. The whereabouts failures occurred June 13, Sept. 19, and Sept. 20.
McGregor's ban was reduced by six months after Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) took his "cooperation and circumstances" into consideration.
May 2026: UFC announces McGregor-Holloway 2
Following weeks of speculation, the UFC announced that McGregor would make his highly anticipated Octagon return against Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11.
