The UFC is leaving no stone unturned to mark the return of its prodigal son. Five years after suffering consecutive losses to Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor is set to make his comeback this week. On July 11, he will face former opponent Max Holloway on a stacked card that will unfold at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

For the UFC, Conor McGregor’s show marks yet another milestone in a year that saw it embark on a new partnership with Paramount + and stage the much-discussed UFC Freedom 250 event on the White House South Lawn last month. To underscore the stakes involved in what is being billed as the biggest of the second half of the year, the promotion has reportedly taken several initiatives, including a first-of-its-kind, one-hour pre-event livestream on CBS.

“One of the biggest weekends in combat sports will begin with a live one-hour primetime special ‘This is UFC: McGregor vs. Holloway’ premieres live on CBS Friday, July 10, at 9:00 PM ET/delayed PT, with a first-of-its-kind live broadcast weigh-in featuring both main event fighters plus co-main event competitors Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis,” read the special notice, dated July 6, from Paramount. “This is UFC: McGregor vs. Holloway sets the stage for the highly anticipated McGregor vs. Holloway main event on Saturday, July 11. The special will feature interviews with McGregor, Holloway and an appearance by Dana White.”

The program on Friday represents a major milestone in corporate synergy stemming from the UFC’s broadcasting agreement with CBS and Paramount+, marking the very first time network television will host a live, pre-event UFC promotional special. While the UFC has spent years airing pre-recorded countdown documentaries on networks like FOX, ABC, and ESPN, this format of a live pre-show event is unprecedented.

But without an official explanation, one can only rely on assumptions to gauge the likely reasons behind the move. The answer appears to lie in both promotional and strategic considerations, beginning with the promotion’s biggest attraction: Conor McGregor.

This is the Irish superstar’s first event in nearly five years. He still remains the UFC’s biggest mainstream attraction. The promotion has historically built entire promotional campaigns around McGregor because he attracts not only MMA diehards but also casual sports followers.

Paramount’s announcement itself centers the special on the McGregor vs. Holloway narrative rather than on UFC 329 as a whole.

Equally important is the fact that while the actual fight will stream exclusively on Paramount+, CBS is a free-to-air network television in the United States. Overall, the special feature essentially serves as a one-hour advertisement for Saturday night’s event. Not only will it remind everyone that McGregor is back, but it will also generate buzz one day before the showdown, with Paramount+ potentially attracting more subscriptions.

Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway: Why the UFC is turning a weigh-in into prime-time television

From the UFC’s perspective, the special feature likely serves as another test of its partnership with Paramount. Their media deal reportedly envisions major events receiving broader exposure across CBS and Paramount+. Turning a ceremonial weigh-in into a network TV special then allows Paramount to gauge audience interest before making similar attempts around future marquee events.

In a lot of ways, ‘This is UFC: McGregor vs. Holloway’ appears to borrow a blueprint from sister combat sport boxing, which traditionally promoted its events by turning weigh-ins, face-offs, and press conferences into entertainment before fight night.

To set the context, there have been televised UFC weigh-ins before. The pre-fight events typically feature on the promotion’s digital platforms, such as YouTube, UFC Fight Pass, and ESPN+. Dana White and team have also televised ceremonial weigh-ins for major events, especially during International Fight Week and other marquee cards.

What sets the Paramount-CBS special feature apart is that it may be the first time the UFC will be packaging a live ceremonial weigh-in as a standalone primetime broadcast on a major United States network.

A brief analysis suggests the UFC could be pinning its hopes on McGregor at a time when some of its biggest names, including Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, Alex Pereira, and Ilia Topuria, are dealing with various issues.

While the former champion has remained sidelined from competition, he still remains one of the sport’s biggest attractions despite the controversies that have surrounded him over the years.

So there’s a chance the UFC may want to capitalize on Conor McGregor’s stature and feature him on upcoming cards and match him up against other marquee names.

For the diehard followers, meanwhile, the Paramount-CBS feature should provide a good opportunity to see their favorite icon and assess if he’s ready for the task ahead.