Sean O'Malley warns Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 return may not last

Sean O'Malley has poured cold water on the idea that Conor McGregor’s long-awaited UFC 329 return will hold up under the biggest test of his comeback.

The UFC bantamweight title contender reckons McGregor’s first fight in nearly four years could look sharp on paper but may not survive five rounds against a hungry rival. The Irish superstar is set to face off against a top-five opponent at UFC 329 on 18 October in Las Vegas, a clash that doubles as his first fight since July 2023.

O’Malley, 29, told media on Friday that McGregor’s return looked “good on paper” but questioned whether the 35-year-old could go the distance. “He’ll look good at UFC 329, but will it last?” O’Malley said. “That’s the real test. We’ll see if he can keep it up for five rounds.” The American added that McGregor’s recent training footage and interviews suggest he’s in better shape than before, yet doubts linger over his gas tank after a long layoff.

The comments put O’Malley in the spotlight as he eyes a date with the winner of McGregor’s comeback bout. A dominant McGregor return would scramble the bantamweight rankings and complicate O’Malley’s path to a title shot. If the Irishman stumbles, the door swings wide open for O’Malley to land a marquee fight sooner rather than later. Either way, O’Malley’s blunt assessment sharpens the narrative around UFC 329 and raises the stakes for every fighter on the card.

McGregor’s camp has sold the comeback as a two-part story: first the spectacle of his return, then the fight itself. The Irishman’s last outing ended in a second-round knockout loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2023, a result that left questions about his prime-era durability. O’Malley’s remarks add another layer of intrigue, framing UFC 329 as more than a nostalgia trip-it’s a real test of McGregor’s ability to compete at elite level again.

UFC 329 takes place on 18 October at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, headlined by a featherweight bout between Ilia Topuria and Volkanovski. McGregor vs. the winner of that fight would slot into the co-main, setting up a potential pay-per-view super-fight that could redefine the bantamweight division’s near-term future.