Brendan Fitzgerald: Max Holloway 'perfect' Conor McGregor return fight

It will have been more than five years since Conor McGregor stepped into the octagon by the time UFC 329 comes around on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The rollercoaster of speculation about a comeback fight for McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) has been rampant for the majority of that stretch. He was once scheduled to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but pulled out due to injury. Other than that, it's never truly felt close to reality.

Positive signs have started to emerge in recent weeks. McGregor has repeatedly expressed confidence on social media that he will be fighting in the UFC sooner rather than later, and UFC CEO Dana White recently said "it's looking good," while previously stating that UFC 329 was a date in play.

UFC play-by-play voice Brendan Fitzgerald is hopeful it will all materialize this time, because the stars feel aligned.

"I know the Conor rumors are out there, and I think everybody is in agreement that we would love to have Conor back in the octagon as soon as possible," Fitzgerald told MMA Junkie. "What possible better place than International Fight Week at a Las Vegas numbered event to do it?"

Although there would be a number of fighters eager to share the cage with McGregor in his big return, some traction has started to build behind Max Holloway, who wants to avenge his August 2013 loss to the Irishman and said he's willing to go welterweight to make it happen.

Fitzgerald sees Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) as the most logical foe out of all potential options, and thinks it would be an intriguing matchup after all of McGregor's time off.

"Max just seems perfect," Fitzgerald said. "Charles Oliveira is not booked right now, but he really wants the title. … Max obviously off the top of the head seems like the most fitting. There's history, weight class, and all that sort of stuff."

"It's tough to quantify (how Conor will look). … I would think Max is a pretty sizable favorite just since he's been active, and it's not a guy like Charles Oliveira on the other side that's going to use grappling advantages, and it's going to be on the feet, and Max has looked largely very good over the past several years against opponents like Conor. Against Dustin, Max looked great. How motivated is Conor, and what's he doing in the shadows? You can't figure that out."