Watch: Conor McGregor fights in surprise Irish exhibition bout, fueling rumors of UFC return

Conor McGregor returned to the ring Friday for a surprise boxing match as rumors of his impending UFC return continue to pick up steam. The former UFC two-division champion competed in a three-round exhibition at his longtime training home of Crumlin Boxing Club in Dublin, Ireland, facing off against local amateur Barry Nolan on the club's Good Friday show, per Irish outlet HITC . According to local reports, McGregor scored two standing eight-counts in the brief, unscored match, which saw both competitors wear protective headgear.

Watch highlights of his performance below. Conor McGregor did a surprise three-round boxing exhibition match in Ireland today 😳 He scored two standing eight counts 👀 pic. twitter.

com/QjDHOVyqPT — Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) April 4, 2026 View this post on Instagram View this post on Instagram McGregor, 37, has not competed professionally in nearly five years, when the former champion suffered a gruesome broken leg in his July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier. Despite that extended absence, the Irishman remains one of the biggest names in the UFC, if not the biggest. A former titleholder at both featherweight and lightweight, McGregor has headlined the four highest-selling pay-per-view events in MMA history, and his 2017 crossover boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

remains the second-highest selling pay-per-view event in combat sports history. In recent weeks, McGregor (22-6) has been repeatedly linked to a potential UFC return in the summer, with Uncrowned's Ariel Helwani reporting that a slot headlining UFC 329 on July 11 at International Fight Week in a rematch against former opponent Max Holloway stands as a real possibility. View this post on Instagram McGregor was initially expected to return in June 2024 for a welterweight bout against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, however he withdrew from the contest two weeks out due to a broken toe.