‘There have been a whole lot of guys’

Max Holloway doesn’t think it is smart for Conor McGregor to be returning straight back into the deep end.

The 2 former UFC featherweight champions will headline International Fight Week in Las Vegas, as they meet in a rematch 13 years within the making.

McGregor vs Holloway within the UFC 329 fundamental event got here as a surprise to many, as ‘Blessed’ was picked to welcome the Irish star back to motion after over five years away.

While completely happy that he got the task following his loss to Charles Oliveira, Holloway believes it is way from a great thing for the person standing opposite him on the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.

Max Holloway puts Conor McGregor number 4 in UFC Featherweight champion rankings

Do you agree with the legendary Hawaiian’s picks?

Max Holloway thinks Conor McGregor needs to be fighting any individual else for his first fight in five years

Most were expecting McGregor’s lengthy layoff following his broken leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021 to finish with a long-awaited showdown with Michael Chandler.

After they coached against one another on The Ultimate Fighter in 2023, McGregor pulled out of the Chandler fight at UFC 303 in 2024 as a consequence of a broken toe.

Following confirmation of his 2026 comeback, the UFC looked elsewhere when it got here to who would throw down with ‘The Notorious’.

Charles Oliveira was seemingly within the running and has claimed that it was McGregor who picked Holloway, not the promotion. If that’s the case, the Hawaiian believes the previous champ-champ has caused his own demise.

“The bad part for him is he’s fighting me,” Holloway said during a fight week interview with Paramount.

“He’s gotta see me contained in the Octagon. There’s a whole lot of guys that he could have selected.

“He selected the fallacious one,” Holloway added.

‘Blessed’ is heavily favored to have his hand raised at UFC 329, and doing so shall be crucial for him after what transpired in his trip to the Octagon on the T-Mobile Arena earlier this 12 months.

Holloway was dominated by Oliveira at UFC 326 in March, because the Brazilian took the symbolic BMF title with a grappling-heavy performance in Las Vegas.

Wrestling also led to the Hawaiian’s defeat to McGregor in Boston 13 years ago, but not many expect the Irishman to employ the identical strategy on Saturday night.