Alexander Volkanovski warns that Conor McGregor can't be counted out against Max Holloway at UFC 329

Conor McGregor will fight Max Holloway around 13 years after their first encounter, in which McGregor outpointed his Hawaiian rival in their featherweight bout. 

Reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has weighed in with his take on their rematch.

The Australian MMA legend has pointed out that many people are dismissing McGregor's chances of winning the rematch, as "The Notorious" one hasn't competed in a professional combat sports contest since 2021. 

Nevertheless, Volkanovski underscored that McGregor is still dangerous and could defeat Holloway if the latter isn't cautious. 

Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 is set to headline UFC 329

Widely beheld as a combat sports megastar, Ireland's Conor McGregor is a former UFC featherweight kingpin as well as a former UFC lightweight champion. He last competed in a lightweight MMA bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, sustaining a mid-fight leg injury and losing via TKO. 

On the other hand, Hawaii's Max Holloway previously reigned as the UFC featherweight champion and is also an ex-BMF titlist. "Blessed" is coming off a unanimous decision defeat in his rematch against Charles Oliveira, a lightweight matchup that saw him lose his BMF belt in March of this year. 

As of this time, McGregor is set to make his long-awaited comeback. He's booked to fight Holloway in a welterweight bout. The duo will headline the UFC 329 event in Las Vegas on July 11. 

Alexander Volkanovski warns against underestimating Conor McGregor in Max Holloway rematch at UFC 329

Speaking to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, Alexander Volkanovski put forth his assessment when asked about the Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway rematch. Volkanovski lauded McGregor's explosiveness and sharpness, stating: 

"We know that Conor hasn't been in the game for a long time. And I think that a lot of people are thinking that he's just gonna lose everything. But that's not the case. He's going to be dangerous. He's, obviously, still going to be very sharp, very explosive, still got a good eye." 

Incidentally, Volkanovski himself holds three victories over Holloway, all on the judges' scorecards, in UFC featherweight championship fights. As such, "Volk," who's quite familiar with him, affirmed that Holloway would respect McGregor's power in the early going. 

Moreover, he opined that McGregor may not have the same eye for fighting as he did during his time at the pinnacle of the sport. Volkanovski said: 

"He's had the exact eye that he had when he was the double champ and doing what he was doing? No. Probably not. But still going to be very dangerous. And I know that Max (Holloway) is going to respect that." 

He added, "Obviously, they're gonna want to put on a show. But at the same time, you're gonna know that Conor will be very dangerous early. I think Max will make the right decisions to not just get in the fire straight away, and then start to work him later in them rounds." 

"The Great" further indicated that McGregor is extremely dangerous and explosive, but that explosiveness gradually tires him.

Volkanovski implied that the Irishman's lengthy hiatus from the sport could also wear him out sooner. He opined that although McGregor has been training hard, his sharpness might deteriorate more quickly because he hasn't competed for several years. 

 

Watch Alexander Volkanovski discuss the upcoming Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway showdown below (*comments at the 8:46-minute mark of the video):