Dana White expects 'powerhouse' Conor McGregor's return to break UFC record

WASHINGTON – Dana White is excited to welcome back the sport’s biggest star, Conor McGregor.

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns from a five-year long layoff to rematch Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in the UFC 329 main event on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).

McGregor hasn’t competed since breaking his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Tickets for his return fight sold out instantly, which doesn’t surprise White.

“Listen, Conor, you guys know as well as I do, I mean he’s a f*cking, he’s a powerhouse, man,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters Tuesday in Washington. “I mean, when he’s involved – tickets, as soon at they went on sale, went flying.

“We put Power Slap on sale. Power Slap sold out in an hour so, we added 250 or 200 more tickets, sold out in 15 minutes. I’m sure everything that’s going on in Vegas, International Fight Week is selling out. So it’s great to have Conor back.”

The current record for highest gate in UFC history is almost $22 million for the Sphere event at UFC 306 in September 2024. White expects McGregor’s return to surpass that.

“This should break the (gate) record,” White said. “The record is the Sphere right now ,and this should break the Sphere record.”

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White: It’s great to have ‘powerhouse’ Conor McGregor back