Dricus Du Plessis can’t wait to see Conor McGregor back at UFC 329.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns to rematch Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in Saturday’s welterweight main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+). Du Plessis, the former UFC middleweight champion, admits he is a big fan of McGregor but became skeptical at one point that he’d never fight again.
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“Conor started coming up when I was just starting out my pro career; his UFC run started,” Du Plessis said on Fight Forecast. “So, he was a guy that I genuinely looked up to as I progressed in the sport. Max Holloway, he’s also definitely a Hall of Famer, never has a boring fight, absolutely incredible. He had a tough run with Charles Oliveira in his last fight, but him and Conor is not going to look like that.
“And interesting to see him at 170. Max, he can do that. He’s tall enough, but very interesting to see how Conor comes back. But there’s one thing about Conor: It’s always like there is no pressure for him. He shows up, and he does what he does. Physically, he looks good, but you’re going up against Max Holloway. That is a very tall order. … Imagine this: Imagine Conor beating Max Holloway and getting that title shot.”
More: What happened in first Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway fight years ago?
Although the time away due to injury and cardio concern Du Plessis, he won’t pick against McGregor.
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“I’m going with the Mac,” Du Plessis said. “I’m never going against him. I’m never going against Conor. Yeah, Max Holloway, massive fan, love him. He’s a great fighter, and he’s deserving of everything that he’s gotten and all the praise, but I can’t go against Conor. Conor has that scary timing.
“Everybody that’s fought him says that. That timing, and he has that sneaky power. Everybody that fights him says when he hits you, you feel it. It just takes one. Ilia (Topuria) knocked out Max, so it can be done. Conor, I don’t know what he’s doing for that tank, but he needs to figure that out because Max Holloway does not stop.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dricus Du Plessis: Conor McGregor has ‘scary timing,’ beats Max Holloway
