UFC legend Conor McGregor has revealed new photos of his physique as he prepares for his return to the company after five years away.
The Irishman has not competed since he broke his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. After five years away after dabbling with boxing, entrepreneurship, and politics, McGregor is set to return at UFC 329 against Max Holloway in a rematch, 13 years after their last bout.
McGregor shared several photos to his social media pages of his physique, highlighting his training regiment in order to be in good condition for his July clash with Holloway.
He captioned the post: “AWESOME WORK. One of the best pure boxers on this island, @craig_kavanagh_26. My bro! A vicious gentleman.”
Based off the photos, it is clear that McGregor is taking his return to MMA seriously, and with just a number of weeks before the clash, the Irishman will understand that if he wants a shot at championship gold, he must overcome Holloway first.
Conor McGregor’s Current Physique
UFC 329: Holloway vs McGregor
McGregor is considered the underdog in the bout. Holloway is younger than the Irishman and has been more active in MMA, so will be confident against the returning veteran. Despite this, if Notorious can find his previous form and keep the fight on its feet, he can use his striking ability to try to pick up a knockout victory.
It was not an easy one for McGregor in his first fight with Holloway 13 years ago. He tore his ACL mid-fight, so was forced to take it to the mat and win by unanimous decision through wrestling.
If all goes well for McGregor this time around, he will be looking to jump to the front of the queue for a shot at the gold. Despite there being other contenders waiting for their title opportunities, McGregor’s star power and legendary status in the organisation might be enough to put him at the front of the line for a title shot.
Current UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev reacted to McGregor’s return by telling TNT Sports: “It’s good, it’s good. Big name for our sport, but he has a tough opponent. Max Holloway against Conor, I think Max can beat him.”
There is history between McGregor and Makhachev as the latter is close friends and a teammate of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, who went to war with Conor McGregor at UFC 229 in 2018, where McGregor submitted in the fourth round to the unbeaten Russian fighter.
If McGregor can overcome Holloway, a blockbuster clash between McGregor and Makhachev would certainly draw eyes to the sport in a clash that is eight years in the making.
Manchester United have made contact to secure one of the best players in the world ahead of the summer transfer window, according to a report from Team Talk.
After qualifying for the Champions League during the 2025-2026 season, United will likely be shopping in a different market for players than they were last summer.
The Red Devils have always been an attractive club to players due to their stature, but they could take their recruitment to the next level this summer.
Manchester United have made contact to secure one of the best players in the world ahead of the summer transfer window, according to a report from Team Talk.
After qualifying for the Champions League during the 2025-2026 season, United will likely be shopping in a different market for players than they were last summer.
The Red Devils have always been an attractive club to players due to their stature, but they could take their recruitment to the next level this summer.
EA Sports F1 announced that they would not be releasing an F1 26 game, to much disappointment. However, fans can expect a 2026 season pack to reflect a driver’s rating based on the completed 2025 season and the ongoing 2026 season.
EA have come to the conclusion on ratings based on four key metrics: experience, race craft, awareness, and pace, which are then put together to give an average rating out of 100.
The ratings for the season pack will spark debate, so here is the full list which showcases the best drivers in 2026.
F1 26 driver ratings (22-11)
Position
Driver
Rating
22.
Arvid Lindblad
68
21.
Franco Colapinto
73
20.
Lance Stroll
77
19.
Liam Lawson
79
18.
Gabriel Bortoleto
80
17.
Kimi Antonelli
83
16.
Isack Hadjar
83
15.
Oliver Beaman
83
14.
Pierre Gasly
84
13.
Valtteri Bottas
84
12.
Esteban Ocon
84
11.
Nico Hulkenberg
85
10 Alex Albon
Rating: 85
The British-Thai racer has become a known face in the F1 line-up, with him being a part of the sport for seven years now. Albon‘s best days came in 2020 with two third-place finishes in Tuscany and Bahrain while driving for Red Bull, but he has still shown natural ability while racing under the Williams flag.
The 2026 season has so far been a bit disappointing for Albon, sitting in 17th in the Drivers’ Championship with only one point coming in Miami after a 10th-place finish. Despite that, Albon has made it into the game’s top 10 list thanks to his proven ability to compete in the upper half of the grid when on form.
9 Sergio Perez
Rating: 85
Sergio Perez has proven himself to be a strong competitor on the grid across the last six years. The Mexican-born driver has picked up six wins across his F1 career and finished a career-high second place in the Drivers’ Championship in 2023, giving Red Bull their first ever 1-2 in the contest.
A dedicated Formula 1 fan went to every single race in 2025, and he named the two worst experiences.
Despite cementing himself as a solid driver, the Cadillac racer is yet to pick up a point in the Drivers’ Championship, meaning his ninth place ranking comes based off of historical form, not just current.
8 Carlos Sainz Jr
Rating: 86
Sainz has seen a sharp decrease in his rating, dropping from 90 last year to 86. The four-time race winner was a consistent point scorer with Ferrari, securing victories at the 2022 British Grand Prix, the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, and the Australian and Mexico City Grands Prix in 2024.
While he has not been as strong with Williams, he has guided the team to comfortable championship positions. This year, he currently sits in 13th in the Drivers’ Championship table, but his work with Ferrari in previous years has still given him a respectable rating in the game.
7 Fernando Alonso
Rating: 90
You cannot deny Alonso‘s place amongst the pantheon of F1 legends. He has taken part in 429 races and has won 32 of them, with his first victory coming 23 years ago. He has seen plenty of drivers come through the door, but he has been a permanent fixture within the sport.
However, this year has been one to forget. The veteran has not enjoyed the number of technical faults that have come with Aston Martin‘s engine struggles and has complained about vibrations in the car that have forced him to retire from multiple races. Despite Alonso not picking up any points so far this season, he has actually improved last year’s rating by two thanks to his legend status within F1.
6 Lewis Hamilton
Rating: 91
The seven-time World Champion has shown that his age is not weighing on him as he continues to perform for Ferrari at a consistent rate. At the Canadian Grand Prix, Hamilton finished second and is still insistent on putting pressure on the Mercedes duo of Antonelli and George Russell and is looking to build upon recent results.
AI has made its prediction after the opening five races of the 2026 season.
Last year, Hamilton picked up an 89 rating, and it is clear from this year’s improved score that the game recognises that he is starting to find his footing with Ferrari and is once again pushing up the leaderboard in the hopes of claiming an eighth world title some point in his future.
5 Oscar Piastri
Rating: 91
The Aussie had a surprisingly low rating last year, but the game has amended that with a solid four-point improvement. The McLaren driver has proven that there could be a World Championship in his future in recent years, with the Drivers’ Championship still being attainable for him before the last race of 2025. Despite a third-place finish on the leaderboard, it certainly was a season to be proud of for the young driver.
While McLaren has not fired on all cylinders in 2026 as they have for the previous two years, Piastri is still one of the more exciting young talents in the sport and the game has reflected that by putting him in the top five.
4 Charles Leclerc
Rating: 92
The Monaco-born driver has shown exactly why he is one to watch since joining Ferrari in 2019. Despite people thinking he could be playing second fiddle to Lewis Hamilton upon his arrival to the team, Leclerc finished ahead of the British legend in the 2025 Drivers’ Championship and is sitting in third place this year.
With a one-point climb in the game’s rankings, Leclerc’s rating in the game has reflected his ability and tenacity to remain the leading man for Ferrari for years to come.
3 George Russell
Rating: 93
The British driver has been on the verge of becoming a superstar for the past couple of years, and he has started to prove that this year, sitting in second behind teammate Kimi Antonelli. Going into the season, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff envisioned Russell as the lead driver for the team and, despite being outshone by his young counterpart, there is no doubt that he is one of the faces of the sport at this point.
Russell’s in-game improvement is reflective of this fact, climbing from 90 to 94. With a World Championship potentially in his future, it is clear that he could become the highest-rated in the franchise at some point in his career.
2 Lando Norris
Rating: 94
Last year’s champion being rated so highly is no surprise. The British driver was so impressive and seemed destined to win it from the get-go last year with his ability to hold off Max Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri going into the final race of the season. Despite the slow start so far this year, there is no denying the star power Norris has.
With a three-point rating improvement, the game has highlighted Norris‘ ability and place in F1 despite a slight decline in form compared to the last two years of his career, but there is no doubt that he can and will be a contender again in the sport, which makes him the second-highest ranked driver in the game deserved.
1 Max Verstappen
Rating: 95
Despite narrowly missing out on the Drivers’ Championship last year, the Dutchman’s place in the sport’s history is already cemented. The four-time World Champion dominated the sport for years and is still showing signs of promise despite Red Bull’s slight decline this year.
While Verstappen is still looking for a win this year and sits in seventh place in the Drivers’ Championship, his legendary status has rightfully earned him the top spot in the game’s rankings once more.
While the rating system will spark discussion over who has been underappreciated or overrated, it has been confirmed by EA Sports that the ratings are subject to change as we progress through the racing calendar. It would not be surprising if Kimi Antonelli received a drastic improvement to his ranking as he continues to rack up wins and lead the Drivers’ Championship.
