Conor McGregor is back -- and MMA summer just got interesting - ESPN

At the same time the first MMA card promoted by Most Valuable Promotions was reaching its crescendo Saturday in Inglewood, California, UFC CEO Dana White announced that the biggest star in UFC history, former two-weight champion Conor McGregor, was ready to come back to the Octagon after five years away. He'll take on fellow superstar Max Holloway in a welterweight bout on July 11 in Las Vegas. All of a sudden, some of the best-known MMA athletes from the past are back in the spotlight, making this a summer to keep your eyes on.

ESPN MMA writers Brett Okamoto and Andreas Hale answer the biggest questions on the minds of MMA fans now that the Mack is back.

Without question, not even close. And to be fair to every other summer of the past decade, that's to be expected. With the White House card alone, you're talking about a one-of-one event. Then you add McGregor, Francis Ngannou and Ronda Rousey returning, arguably the two biggest stars of all time, of course no other summer is going to top that.

It has been somewhat slim pickings in recent years. There is no question the UFC has been lacking in «the world stops and watches» moments lately. Part of that is timing and matchmaking, and part of it speaks to a potential problem the sport has developed in building stars and promoting breakthrough events. When I think about the best summer lineups of the past decade, all of the top candidates are the earlier ones. The 2020 summer was wild, due to the Fight Island/COVID-19 angle. There have been a few summers since that have, frankly, been pretty dull. But this sport is cyclical and no one can deny it at all — this summer stands to be one of the best ever. — Okamoto

Outside of a trilogy with Nate Diaz (Diaz and McGregor are 1-1