McGregor Says Holloway Hasn't Changed Since 2013 Ahead of July 11 UFC 329

Q: Can Conor McGregor's confidence conquer a five-year layoff and an elite Max Holloway?

McGregor’s confidence alone is unlikely to be enough; if he wins, it will have to be because his timing, power and physical recovery have held up after five years away, not because of rhetoric. The case for McGregor is real. He remains one of MMA’s sharpest counterstrikers, has proven knockout power at multiple weights, and beat Holloway in their 2013 meeting. At 170 pounds, he also avoids a hard weight cut, and he believes that favors his explosiveness more than it favors Holloway, who built his legacy at featherweight and lightweight. But the bigger evidence points the other way. McGregor is 37, has not fought since the broken tibia against Dustin Poirier in 2021, and is 1-3 since winning the lightweight title in 2016. A five-year layoff is a major competitive risk in any division, especially against an active elite opponent. Ring rust, diminished timing, and uncertainty about durability after a severe leg injury are all serious questions. Holloway brings the steadier profile. He is 27-9, one of the UFC’s highest-volume strikers, and has stayed active against top competition. His win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 showed he still has elite pace, toughness and finishing ability. He has also evolved significantly since 2013, even if McGregor dismisses that. So McGregor’s confidence may help set the tone, but the more reliable indicators are activity, recent form and durability. On those measures, Holloway appears to have the stronger case entering UFC 329.

1 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Jun 24

July 11 will mark Conor McGregor's first UFC fight in five years, and he says Max Holloway is essentially the same opponent he beat in 2013.
170 pounds is central to McGregor's case: he says Holloway has never fought at welterweight, while he has already moved up through multiple divisions and knows the adjustment.
McGregor also pointed to their first meeting, when he outlanded Holloway 71-32 and landed four of five takedowns, saying Holloway "didn't lay a glove on me."
The bout gives McGregor a chance to halt a 1-3 slide since winning the lightweight title in 2016, while he openly welcomes a UFC 300-style stand-and-trade after Holloway's knockout of Justin Gaethje.