Conor McGregor and Max Holloway will run it back this weekend at UFC 329 inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Their first fight, which took place down at featherweight way back in 2013, was a seed-planting classic given the heights each man has since achieved.
Now, 13 years later, they meet again at welterweight.
Tale of the Tape
Conor McGregor: 22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC | 5'9" | Age 37 | 170 lbs. | 74" reach
Max Holloway: 27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC | 5'11" | Age 34 | 170 lbs. | 69" reach
The Unknown: McGregor's Layoff
McGregor has not fought in five years. His last outing was a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, where he suffered a badly broken leg. Since then, he has been away from competition, and questions linger about what version of "Notorious" will show up.
Holloway, by contrast, has remained active. He last fought in March, losing a decision to Charles Oliveira. Before that, he won the BMF title by beating Poirier in Poirier's retirement fight.
The Weight Factor
McGregor is 2-1 at welterweight and has fought at 170 pounds before. Holloway is 0-0 at welterweight, making this a step into unfamiliar territory.
Expert Picks
Din Thomas: "I think Max moving up is a disadvantage for Conor. Holloway will have more weight behind his volume striking. Conor has to land a big shot early. If it goes past two rounds, Max will take over."
Paddy Pimblett: "If Conor is gonna win, it's going to have to be in the first two rounds. If it goes past that, I think Max will probably take over."
Robert Whittaker: "I think getting comfortable outside of fighting and being away from it for so long is really going to impact Conor. His super power was that he was hungry. I feel that disappeared when he made $100 million."
Cory Sandhagen: "I think Max will probably win because I think the conditioning is going to be a big deal."
The Verdict
McGregor's path to victory is clear: land a big shot early and get Holloway out of there in the first two rounds. Holloway's path is to survive the early onslaught, build his pace and pressure, and drown McGregor with volume as the fight goes on.
Most experts are leaning Holloway by decision or late TKO. The betting line reflects that, with Holloway at -225 and McGregor at +185.
