Conor McGregor was visibly emotional as he addressed the media ahead of his long-awaited UFC return - opening up about his struggles with alcohol, the trappings of fame and the sexual assault allegations that marred his time away from the sport.

The Irishman is set to face Max Holloway in a welterweight headliner at UFC 329, marking his first fight since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

However, the focus of Wednesday's Las Vegas pre-fight press conference quickly shifted away from the cage and onto McGregor's turbulent few years outside of it.

In November 2024, a Dublin jury found McGregor liable for sexual assault following a civil suit brought by Nikita Hand, ordering the fighter to pay $260,000 in damages.

Despite the verdict, McGregor fiercely maintained his innocence when addressing the situation on Wednesday ahead of his highly-anticipated comeback fight.

A defiant McGregor said: 'I am an innocent man and I will stand for my innocence until the day I go out. That is still a situation where I fight. There's a reason it didn't go where it went, and it [instead] went to a civil trial. It is what it is.

'It stings deep but I continue to fight. I know the truth. And I know that lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,' he continued. 

'I know anything done in darkness will soon come to light, and I trust in God that it's coming. You best believe it's coming. I look very, very forward to the day.'

The former two-division champion also reflected on the darker periods of his hiatus, fighting back tears when reminded of his state of mind over the last few years.

'I don't want to get into this terribly but it was a few tough years,' an emotional McGregor admitted. 'It's been a tough one but God works in mysterious ways. It is all as it should [be]. Maybe it wasn't meant to be at that time.'

McGregor detailed how the sudden influx of massive wealth, particularly following his 2017 boxing match against Floyd Mayweather and the subsequent launch of his Irish whiskey brand, 'Proper 12' sent his life spiraling out of control.

When asked if he fell into the familiar trap that ensnares many wealthy athletes, McGregor was incredibly blunt. 'Obviously'.

He continued: 'You know in 2017, (I'm) a double-weight world champion, Floyd Mayweather-banked. Then I launch an Irish whiskey. I didn't drink heavily, if at all, at that time in my life. I was an athlete at the top of my game. 

'Next thing you know, there's thousands and thousands of bottles in my garage. 'Sell this, Conor'. Ok, I'd leave my property with two bottles under my arm. And that was it, I was caught.' 

McGregor concluded by emphasizing his renewed reliance on his faith to navigate his return to the spotlight and the ongoing public scrutiny.

'God gave me these lessons. I was trapped and caught,' he said. 'I trust in God. I trust in my journey. And I trust in the truth. And if the world is against the truth, then I am against the world. That is where I stand.'

While the devastating 2021 leg break initiated his lengthy layoff, McGregor's return was further delayed by a series of setbacks.

He was originally scheduled to fight Michael Chandler in the summer of 2024 after the pair served as opposing coaches on The Ultimate Fighter, but McGregor was forced to withdraw after suffering a broken toe.

His comeback was then pushed back even further in October 2025 when it was announced he would serve an 18-month suspension due to three drug-test whereabouts failures.

The ban, which was backdated to September 2024, officially expired earlier this year - finally clearing the path for his blockbuster showdown with Holloway.