Dana White says McGregor vs. Holloway 2 reveal had nothing to do with Francis Ngannou, MVP event: ‘I don’t give a f*ck what those guys are doing’

Dana White dismissed suggestions that the timing of his announcement of Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway 2 was intended as a counter-programming move against Most Valuable Promotion's MMA event featuring Francis Ngannou. White revealed the UFC 329 main event—a rematch between McGregor and Holloway set for July 11 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas—during the Rousey versus Carano event earlier this month, coinciding with Ngannou's featured bout against Philipe Lins at the competing MVP card. When asked about the timing, White stated flatly that he had no concern with what Ngannou and MVP were doing, emphasizing that his focus was solely on promoting the McGregor fight. The announcement marked McGregor's return to competition after a five-year absence. While White's comments suggest the timing was coincidental rather than deliberate, the overlap nonetheless highlighted the rivalry between the UFC and the newly independent MVP promotion, which signed Ngannou after his departure from the heavyweight division. McGregor and Holloway previously fought at UFC 194 in 2015, when McGregor secured a knockout victory in their featherweight title bout.