(Photo credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images)

The get-in ticket price for UFC 329 has soared above $1,000 and UFC president Dana White is projecting a UFC record gate for Saturday night's card in Las Vegas featuring Conor McGregor's return against Max Holloway.

McGregor (22-6 MMA) will return to the Octagon for the first time in more than five years to face Holloway (27-9 MMA) in a five-round welterweight main event at T-Mobile Arena. The get-in price had increased 14% over the past three days to $1,038 as of 1:30 p.m. ET on Friday, according to ticket-tracking service TicketData.com.

The price peaked at $2,377 back on May 17 but fell as low as $887 on Monday night. Perhaps related, that was about an hour before the United States men's national team kicked off in a World Cup knockout match against Belgium. Had the USMNT won, they would have played Spain in a quarterfinal game in Los Angeles on Friday.

Since the U.S. was eliminated from the World Cup, the get-in ticket price for UFC 329 steadily rose throughout the week and surpassed $1,000 early Friday morning.

McGregor is returning to the Octagon for the first time since suffering a broken left tibia and fibula in a fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. White said Saturday night's event, which closes out International Fight Week, will produce the biggest gate in UFC history at $25 million.

The current record is $21.8 million for UFC 306 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

McGregor, 37, was originally scheduled to return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024 to conclude their Ultimate Fighter 31 rivalry after the show aired in 2023. However, a McGregor toe injury forced a postponement, and the match was never rescheduled. He now returns to the welterweight division for the first time in six years.

The Irishman scored a unanimous decision victory over Holloway in August 2013 at a UFC Fight Night event in Boston in McGregor's second UFC appearance.

Meanwhile, the 34-year-old Holloway is making his official welterweight debut after a historic run at 145 and 155 pounds over the last decade-plus. He is coming off the loss of his 'BMF' title to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 in March.

--Field Level Media