Conor McGregor has been called out for a mammoth UFC return fight after being omitted from the White House card plans.
McGregor, the biggest draw in UFC history, has not fought since his third bout with Dustin Poirier saw him suffer a leg break back in 2021.
He was scheduled to face Michael Chandler, his rival in the Ultimate Fighter show, but the fight was cancelled after he suffered a broken toe.
McGregor was then issued with a 18-month ban from fighting after being failing to disclose his whereabouts for drug testing on three different occasions in 2024.
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That suspension is finishing and McGregor had been lobbying to fight Chandler on the 'UFC Freedom 250' event in June at the White House.
However both he and Jon Jones were overlooked from the six-fight card, which will be headlined by Ilia Topuria's lightweight title showdown with Justin Gaethje.
McGregor has seemingly piqued the interest of former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who reacted on social media.
But he has now also been challenged by UFC legend Max Holloway, who lost to McGregor by unanimous decision back in 2013.
Holloway, who was beaten by Charles Oliveira last time out, is prepared to fight McGregor at any weight as he is desperate to avenge the loss.
In an interview for his YouTube channel, Holloway said: "Conor got one over me. He's talking about coming back, I'm coming off a loss. I know a lot of people worry about the weight. If he doesn't want to cut weight, then I don't wanna cut weight. "We can do it at any weight, it's just about getting it back.
"At the end of the day that would be a fun fight but we'll see whichever way UFC wants to go."
McGregor has held meeting with UFC
According to MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, the UFC and the two-weight champion are looking at bout on the International Fight Week card on July 11 in Las Vegas.
He revealed that the Irishman held a meeting with UFC which he believes was a positive one. McGregor has been unusually quiet on social media - something which Helwani believes is indication things are progressing well.
Helwani touched on potential opponents and stated that the Holloway rematch is the one which stands out the most.
On The Ariel Helwani Show, he explained: "Obviously Nate [Diaz] is out there. They have to sign him. I think that the Max Holloway fight is still interesting," he added. "I think that there's more interest in the Holloway fight than the Oliveira fight at this point, but Oliveira has a belt. Does Conor want a belt? Does that matter to him?
"We know that they reached out about (Carlos) Prates. I reported he said yes. They've moved on from that. He wants to fight at 170. I feel like Conor versus anyone would be welcomed with open arms by the the audience."
Topics: Conor McGregor, UFC
Josh Lawless