Why question marks hang over McGregor's UFC return

Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Conor McGregor has not won since beating Donald Cerrone in 2020 By Paul Battison BBC Sport journalist Published 9 minutes ago When Conor McGregor steps into the octagon to face Max Holloway after a five-year absence on Sunday, it will be a bittersweet moment for many fans. On one hand it is the return of the biggest star in mixed martial arts history, with McGregor central to the sport's rise in popularity. The Irishman was the UFC's first simultaneous two-weight world champion, while his brash and witty personality captivated fans like no MMA fighter before him. But for all McGregor's achievements within the sport, his career has been dogged by controversy. From court cases, where McGregor lost a civil jury appeal against a finding at the High Court in Dublin that he had sexually assaulted a woman in a Dublin hotel, to a failed presidential run and missed drugs tests, a number of incidents have cast large question marks over his legacy. Now 37, his fight against Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas will complete his return from a career-threatening leg break. The bout is headlining the UFC's flagship International Fight Week card, illustrating how much Dana White's promotion values McGregor, but critics have questioned whether he still deserves the spotlight. What information do we collect from this quiz? A career of controversy McGregor has not fought since breaking his leg in defeat by Dustin Poirier in 2021, but he has featured in the headlines since. In November 2024, Nikita Hand, who accused McGregor of raping her, won her claim against him for damages for assault by rape in a civil case. A jury found that McGregor sexually assaulted Hand in a Dublin hotel in December 2018 and he was ordered to pay her £206,000 plus damages. McGregor lost his civil jury appeal in July 2025 and Hand announced the following month her intention to sue him and two other people for damages, alleging they engaged in malicious abuse of court processes. Despite losing his appeal, McGregor continues to accuse Hand and her lawyers of lying, while Hand said she was "retraumatised over and over again" by the trial. When asked this week if he understood why people were uncomfortable with him in the spotlight following the outcome of the civil case, McGregor said: "I'm an innocent man and I'll stand for my innocence until the day I go out. "There is a reason it didn't go where it went and it went to a civil trial. It is what it is. It stings deep. I continue to fight. I know the truth and I know that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord and I know that anything in the darkness will soon come to light." Last year, McGregor also accepted an 18-month ban for violating the UFC's anti-doping policy after missing three drugs tests within a 12-month period in 2024. The ban, which was backdated to the third missed test in September 2024, concluded in March. McGregor has been tested 14 times , external by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD