Max Holloway will not take Conor McGregor lightly at UFC 329, even if he’s considered a significant betting favorite.
There are many questions about McGregor ahead of his comeback fight following five years away at the July 11 event, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+). Reaction from fellow fighters have indicated “The Notorious” will fail in this moment, but one person who won’t be underestimating him is the man standing across from him in the octagon.
Advertisement
Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) is already tuning out the noise that this will be one of his easier victories in recent years, and said he will be taking McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) with the utmost seriousness.
“It’s a hard fight,” Holloway said on his Kick stream (H/T: Championship Rounds on X). “Conor’s still dangerous. You’d be dumb as hell to think he’s not.”
Holloway said he’s known about the McGregor fight for several months and it was hard to keep it “under wraps,” but it’s now official. The one curveball about the fight on Holloway’s end is that it will take place at welterweight, where he has never competed in his career.
The former UFC featherweight champion and BMF titleholder at 155 pounds is already experiencing the upside of fighting at 170 pounds in preparation, but how it will translate to his performance remains to be seen.
Advertisement
“I’m excited,” Holloway said. “I get to eat good all of camp. I get to eat what I want to eat. Imagine I miss weight at 170? Holy sh*t.”
Ultimately, Holloway is thrilled to get his rematch with McGregor, who beat him at UFC Fight Night 26 in August 2013. Both men have come a long way since them, but Holloway is expecting one thing to be the same going into UFC 329: The Irishman will have a loud mouth.
“Of course (I expected him to talk trash),” Holloway said. “Why wouldn’t his mic skills be the same? Why wouldn’t they be?”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Max Holloway would be ‘dumb as hell’ to underestimate Conor McGregor
