LIVE
Share on Facebook
Max Holloway has fired back at Conor McGregor following the disappointing end to their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 329, calling the Irish superstar “delusional” over his claims about the fight and insisting McGregor looked “slow” and “old” before suffering a knee injury.
The long-awaited rematch between Holloway and McGregor lasted just 69 seconds at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11.
McGregor injured his knee while attempting an early jumping kick, bringing the contest to an abrupt end and handing Holloway a victory by injury TKO.
The anticlimactic finish left fans frustrated after years of anticipation surrounding a second meeting between the two former UFC champions.
McGregor blamed slippery conditions for UFC 329 injury
In the weeks following the fight, McGregor attempted to explain what went wrong and even called for the result to be changed to a no contest.
The former two-division UFC champion partly blamed the fog used during his entrance, claiming it contributed to slippery conditions that ultimately played a role in his injury.
McGregor also insisted that the “generational beating” he had promised Holloway had merely been postponed and suggested the pair would eventually meet for a third time.
Holloway, however, has little sympathy for his rival’s explanation.
“For that dude to be talking about how it was slippery because of the dry ice or whatever, I don't know what he's talking about because I didn't fall,” Holloway said in a video posted on his YouTube channel.
“Him talking about this ‘generational beating,’ dude is delusional. Because, to me, he felt slow in there. He felt slow. He looked old.
“If there was going to be a generational beating, it wasn't going to be on his end, I'll tell you that much. It wasn't going to be coming from his side.”
Holloway says McGregor looked ‘old’ and ‘slow’
Although there was barely more than a minute of action before the injury, Holloway believes he had already seen enough to judge McGregor’s condition after five years away from competition.
The 34-year-old also expressed disappointment for the thousands of fans who spent significant amounts of money to attend one of the UFC's biggest events of the year.
“At the end of the day, I feel bad for the fans,” Holloway said.
“It was a big event. A lot of people spent a lot of money. Shout out to them for coming to support, but I had the man weak in the knees from the beginning, I guess.”
The result gave Holloway another high-profile victory, but the unusual finish means questions remain over whether the rivalry with McGregor has truly been settled.
Their first meeting came all the way back in August 2013, when McGregor defeated Holloway by unanimous decision.
What’s next for Max Holloway?
Holloway currently has no confirmed opponent, but the former UFC featherweight champion believes there are three obvious directions for his next fight.
He wants either a lightweight title opportunity, a welterweight title shot or a trilogy bout against McGregor once the Irishman recovers from his knee injury.
“If it's a title shot in either weight class, sign ya boy up,” Holloway said.
“If it's a Conor McGregor fight again, I'll sign the dotted line. UFC, I'm owed the Conor McGregor belt, the money belt, so you guys got to send me that.”
A shot at the welterweight championship would appear to be the least likely scenario.
Holloway's fight against McGregor marked his first appearance at 170 pounds, while McGregor himself was returning to competition following a five-year absence.
Holloway has strong case for lightweight title shot
A lightweight championship opportunity could be significantly more realistic.
Holloway owns a spectacular knockout victory over current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje from April 2024.
That defeat was Gaethje's most recent loss before he responded with three consecutive victories and eventually captured the 155-pound championship.
Holloway therefore has a ready-made argument for another meeting with Gaethje — this time with UFC gold on the line.
Holloway's professional record now stands at 28-9, including a 24-9 UFC record.
Whether the UFC chooses a title fight or waits for McGregor to recover remains unclear, but Holloway has made one thing certain: if a third fight with the Irishman is offered, he will not hesitate to sign the contract.
