Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
Source: UFC.com

During the last two months UFC has pushed the boundaries of what's possible to do in terms of making a spectacle from a fight night. UFC Freedom 250 was successful by every measurement possible. Same, if not more, is expected from UFC 329. After all, we will have Conor McGregor fighting after a five year hiatus. With much focus being put on Conor and his long awaited return, Max Holloway appears to be neglected by both fans and media.

While that might appear to be the case, it's not like that. After all, it is Blessed who is favourite to win this bout. He was active during the years Conor spent partying. In the meantime he also became one of the leading ambassadors for online casino and sports betting website, Stake. In the days leading up to the main event of UFC 329 he gave an interview for his parent company. Here's just some titbits from an exclusive interview with Max Holloway.

Rematch in the Making for More than a Decade

Many casual fans probably forgot that Max Holloway already fought Conor McGregor. It's no wonder that this bout is not in the memory of many fans, as Max was only 21 years of age when he faced The Notorious for the first time. The two men faced off on August 17th, 2013, in a bout that ended by Conor's win via unanimous decision. The idea of two men facing off once again came directly from UFC, and it even caught Max by surprise. Blessed was on vacation in Japan with his wife when he was asked to fight The Notorious. Talking about the exchange, Holloway said: "... they kind of floated the idea to us that, like, hey, you might fight Conor McGregor. And I was like, holy shit, okay! You know, but the catch is, it's at 170. I'm like, I don't care if it's at heavyweight, you know what I mean? Like, a Conor McGregor fight is a big fight, so sign me up." After that conversation, it became evident that two men will fight once again on 11th of July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

When There's an Event to Be Saved Holloway Always Steps In

Max Holloway never backs down from a challenge. UFC trusts him to deliver an unforgettable bout every time he steps in the octagon. For more than a few times when a big star is making a return to the octagon or the company simply wanted a big fight, Holloway was always there to answer the call. The situation was no different for UFC 329. For Blessed, it is a big honour that UFC turns to him when an occasion rises. Just some of the examples of him stepping up can be traced back to UFC 300 and the first and last BMF title fight. Talking about his great relationship with UFC, Max stated: "It's great to know that I'm one of UFC's guys, and that they know that I can bring in a crowd. It's always good, it's always a great feeling that you know the company behind you is standing behind you 100%."

Does the UFC Want Conor McGregor to Win?

One thing is clear, Conor McGregor is the biggest superstar in the history of UFC. The Notorious knows how to attract the crowd, how to have fans on his side, and make a spectacle of his deeds both in the octagon and outside of it. His presence was something that the company was missing during the couple of past years with no one filling the hole left by McGregor's absence. Because of that, many fans are theorizing about the possibility that UFC wants Conor to win and fight a few more times under the company's umbrellas as no other fighter can generate revenue the way Conor can.

Stories such as these, mere conspiracy theories, have no effect on Max's preparation for the upcoming bout. Talking about UFCs possible desires, Holloway stated: "UFC can want anybody to win, they can want anything. But that's just not the way it goes. You know, I see everybody talking about scripts and this and that." Max is heavily favoured to win this bout, as father time waits for no one, and Conor is expected to be slower and rusty in his comeback, unlike Max who was more than active during the last five years. If you take a look at Stake.com odds for UFC 329, Holloways's win is paid with 1.45 odds, while McGregor is the underdog with 2.85 odds.

In accordance with the odds, Max is on the same wavelength: "At the end of the day, I mean, I'm not bothered by it, you know? I get to go out there and I get to control the narrative 'cause I get to go out there and shut all that down on this guy and go out there and do what I practice, and what I practice is to get my hand raised, so. We will find out come Saturday night."

Possible Conor's Retirement in Jaws of Defeat

No one knows just how many times McGregor is going to fight in the UFC. It is said that he has two fights under the contract he signed. If he wins, a path for a title fight will open and we will probably get back the good old trash talking McGregor back. Yet, if he loses, will he retire? Many fans and pundits are claiming that he will fight two times whether he wins or loses, before moving onto something different, with boxing being touted as the most realistic option. For Max, retirement should not be an option for Conor and for the benefit of the sport: "I hope not. You know, when Conor McGregor is with the sport, and especially in a good light, it's great for the sport, you know? So, if I go out there, get my hand raised, we see what happens, you know? I hope not."

Both men have been approaching this bout with a lot of respect toward each other, and the classic Conor trash talk is evidently missing. For Max, Conor is a good presence in MMA, and Blessed has a hope that if he wins, he will merit a rematch with the Irishman. Talking about possibility that both of Conor's fights under the current contract are against him, Max said: "If we go out there and I get a finish, I would technically be 1 and 0 over him, because in his book, he said he only counts finishes on his records and not decisions, so I would actually have 1 and 0 over him. That'd probably eat him alive, so we'd probably have to have a rematch, which would-which would be great."

Rematch Instead of Retirement

While no one knows for sure how many times Conor will fight, and how his path will unravel depending on whether he wins or loses, some stories that surfaced even claim that both of his fights could be vs. Holloway. Max even said something in that vein while talking to Joe Rogan. A rematch stipulation might be in the contract, but no one can confirm that. Not even Max: "I mean, it's just a rumour, man. We'll see what happens, you know? First things first, if there was a rematch clause, I would tell you guys, but you know, I don't, the UFC is going to do what the UFC does. And I just got to go out there, get my hand raised in exciting fashion, and then the ball's in their court. "

Moving up a Division

Conor McGregor is the first ever double champion in the history of the UFC. After defeating Eddie Alvarez in 2016 he became both featherweight and lightweight champion. This fact is something that he takes a lot of pride in. Now, he will face another fighter who is moving up in Max Holloway. Back in the day, Max was a champion in the featherweight division, but he's lacked the same kind of success since moving to lightweight. What makes his bout against Conor McGregor is the fact that he will be fighting in welterweight for the first time ever in his career. Many fans believe that he will not be able to parry the size and reach advantage Conor is going to have over him. For Max, training and preparing for a bout at 170 pounds was nothing short of amazing. Talking about how it looked for him to prepare for a welterweight fight he said: " So, right here at 170, it's just all about performance, bro. It's about eating the right things, eating good stuff, not skipping meals, you know, not watching calories, not watching carbs. It's cool just eating for performance, and you know, I can't wait to see the outcome come Saturday night."

Another Grappling Affair Incoming

When Max Holloway last fought, and it was at UFC 326 vs. Charles Oliveira, it wasn't a proper stand up fight most fans expected. Instead, it quickly became a festival of grappling that ended in a decision and win by Do Bronxs. Considering that both men will be fighting heavier than they're used to when Max faces Conor, fans are eager to see whether Holloway is going to put work into his ground game, considering that it is a weakness that the Irishman has. Max said that he has prepared accordingly, knowing all the ins and outs of Conor's previous fights: "I think McGregor has like five takedowns in the UFC and I'm four of them, which is pretty funny. But you know, at the end of the day, I did that grappling, you know? We always put in grappling."

When addressing his defeat in the hands of Charles Oliveira, Holloway is not being shy about the fact that could have prepared better. At the end of the day, the two men were fighting for the BMF title, and against a grappler as solid as Oliveira there was always a chance that the fight would go to the ground. Yet, Max believes he stood his ground, and that on some other day it could have been different: "You know, a lot of people give me shit for that fight. You know, I had the world's most dangerous the world's best grappler, you know, in the division on my back for quite some time, and he couldn't get it done, you know?"

Conor vs. Max-13 Years Later

While the pre bout stories were quite mild by McGregor's standards, he still did take a few digs at Holloway. One of the biggest ones was the claim that he thinks that Blessed hasn't improved all that much since the pair's last fight 13 years ago. For McGregor, Max still has the same movements and reactions, which could be something that the Irishman will take advantage of, if true. In response, Max said that he improved more than enough: " I mean everywhere, everywhere. My IQ, my striking, my movement everywhere, man. Like I said, man, I saw him say that, and I totally believe it's just something that he needs to say to get him to the fight, you know? "

Boxer vs. Boxer

It is no secret that Max Holloway sees himself as one of the best boxers in the UFC. At the same time, Conor's entire brand revolves around his ability to strike with precision and power and to knock people out. If these two lads decide to keep this bout on foot and exchange strikes instead of a series of grappling. When asked if boxing is going to be on the menu on 11th of July in T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, Max Holloway said: " I'm so excited, man. I can't wait. I can't wait to go in there and then go trade these paws with him for sure, bro. It's going to be a fun one."

We're only a few days removed from this historic bout, and the fans of both fighters cannot wait for it to start. So far, it is a promise of a spectacle and we're all for it.