Max Holloway is embracing the challenge of facing Conor McGregor once again as the former UFC champions prepare to headline UFC 329 on July 11 during International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
The highly anticipated rematch will take place at T-Mobile Arena and marks McGregor’s first fight in more than five years. It will also be Holloway’s debut at welterweight, adding another layer of intrigue to a matchup that dates back more than a decade.
Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) and McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) first met in August 2013, when McGregor earned a unanimous decision victory in just his second UFC appearance. Since then, both fighters have gone on to capture UFC world titles and establish themselves as two of the most recognizable names in the sport.
Speaking on his YouTube channel this week, "Blessed" addressed the widespread speculation surrounding McGregor’s return and whether the Irish star will make it to fight night.
“I mean, it is what it is, you know. A fight is a fight,” Holloway said. “A lot of people talking about Conor, maybe not showing up or even if he is training or whatever, but he looks pretty dedicated from everything that he's posting out and I think he's pretty serious. I think he really missed the sport and he really wanted to get back in there. I'm glad for the opportunity and July 11th can't come soon enough.”
The former featherweight champion revealed that discussions about the fight developed quickly after the UFC floated the possibility of a rematch.
“You know, the fight came together. I have history with the man,” Holloway said. “I was always on the short list to fight Conor McGregor, so we're here now and I'm pretty excited. I didn't know too much about it. It wasn't the timeline of me knowing. They kind of threw the idea out to us, and we kind of like, yeah, we see what happens, we see where it goes, and things just caught fire. And we're in a blaze, I guess, and we're here now.”
While some observers have questioned the decision to stage the contest at 170 pounds, Holloway dismissed concerns about the weight class and emphasized his willingness to compete anywhere.
“My thoughts on the fight being at 170 are like... who cares? Weight is just a number,” Holloway said. “Real gladiators back in the day, they didn't walk around with a scale. You show up and you fight. And I'm a fighter, that's what I do. Open weight class, whatever weight class, I'm glad I get to share an octagon with him.”
