Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez believes a victory for Conor McGregor over Max Holloway at UFC 329 would rank among the greatest comeback stories in UFC history.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is scheduled to return to the Octagon for the first time in five years when he faces Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11. The former two-division UFC champion has not competed since suffering a broken leg in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in 2021, while questions continue to surround how the Irishman will perform after such a lengthy layoff.
Alvarez (30-8 MMA, 4-3 UFC), who lost his UFC lightweight title to McGregor at UFC 205 in 2016, shared his thoughts on the matchup during an interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.
“I don't like people quitting,” Alvarez said. “I don't like people taking off this sport. It's not something you could put down and pick up. It's too dangerous. I don't have to compare it to someone who's getting ready for a movie role. You have to become the character and, once you're in character, then you go out and put on a good performance. But it takes a while to become that ruthless dog that you need to be in order to go in there and fight viciously the way we do. And you can't just put it down and pick it up whenever you want, especially when coming back with a guy like Max Holloway.”
Holloway enters the fight as one of the UFC’s most active and accomplished fighters, having remained a constant presence near the top of the featherweight division during McGregor’s absence from competition.
“Max (has) been a lot more active and been in the game and didn't put the game down,” Alvarez said. “There's a lot of guessing what's going to happen with Conor, or the Conor we're going to be able to get to see. We'll see.”
Despite his concerns about McGregor’s inactivity, Alvarez said the former champion possesses a unique mentality that could allow him to overcome the odds.
“Conor has an obsessiveness about him that he can make up for years of not training in a short period of time that other guys don't have,” Alvarez said. “So if anybody's able to come do this, it'll be him, but it definitely would be to me one of the best comeback stories we ever seen in the sport.”
