McGregor-Holloway 2 peaks at 8.3 million concurrent viewers

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          Conor McGregor suffers knee injury in loss to Max Holloway (0:35)

          • Brett OkamotoJul 16, 2026, 07:34 PM ET
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              Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.
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          Conor McGregor's UFC return drew big viewership numbers for Paramount+ last weekend.

          McGregor (22-7) suffered a first-round loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329 on Saturday in Las Vegas, losing in just 69 seconds after he injured his right knee in the opening seconds of the fight.

          The live event drew 15.9 million viewers across the U.S. and Latin America, according to Nielsen metrics released by Paramount on Thursday.

          That number is less than the 17 million who tuned in for the UFC's card at the White House last month; however, McGregor's first appearance since July 2021 peaked at 8.3 million concurrent viewers, compared with 7.9 million for the White House event.

          McGregor, 38, stated earlier this week that he will undergo surgery on his right knee and that he hopes to return for the final fight on his UFC contract.

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