Conor McGregor once again provoked an old rival on the eve of his return to the octagon. Scheduled to face Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 , set for July 11 in Las Vegas (USA), the Irishman dismissed any significant evolution of the Hawaiian since their first encounter and claimed to have been responsible for the former champion's development.
During an interview with Ariel Helwani's YouTube channel, McGregor recalled their 2013 fight, when he defeated Holloway by unanimous decision in his second appearance for the organization. In the view of the former two-division champion, his opponent continues to exhibit the same characteristics as when they faced each other more than a decade ago.
See too
“Max is good, he’s my son, I raised Max. When we fought a thousand years ago, I want to do the show again. I don’t believe he’s any better. I don’t see much difference, same reactions, same movements,” declared the Irishman.
The statement is noteworthy because a large part of Holloway's historical trajectory was built precisely after their first fight. Since then, the Hawaiian has won the featherweight title (up to 65,7 kg), defeated José Aldo twice, and established himself as one of the greatest names in the history of the category. Meanwhile, McGregor achieved global star status by becoming the first UFC athlete to win two belts simultaneously.
Despite his favorable record, the Irishman will face a much more experienced version of the opponent he faced in his debut in the organization. Even so, the two-time champion is confident that he can repeat the result he achieved almost 13 years ago and begin a new phase in his career.
Period of inactivity increases pressure on McGregor
At 37 years old, McGregor is trying to end a drought that has lasted more than six years. His last victory was in January 2020, when he defeated Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds. Since then, the Irishman has suffered two consecutive defeats to Dustin Poirier and has not competed again after suffering a serious leg fracture during a fight in July 2021.
The long period away from the sport has transformed the duel against Holloway into one of the most important moments of his recent career. A victory could put the former champion back among the organization's top topics, while another defeat would increase doubts about his ability to compete at a high level.
Historic reunion headlines UFC 329
UFC 329 will be headlined by the highly anticipated rematch between two of the most popular fighters of their generation. When they first faced off in 2013, both were still seeking their place in the organization. Almost thirteen years later, they come to the fight as former champions and protagonists of some of the most memorable moments in the event's recent history.
The rivalry has entered a new chapter with McGregor's statements and promises to increase anticipation for the event. Now, it remains to be seen whether the Irishman will be able to live up to the confidence he has shown outside the octagon or whether Holloway will seize the opportunity to avenge his early career defeat.
Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.
Comments