Ian Machado Garry predicts Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
With UFC 329 on the horizon, Ian Machado Garry touched on his fellow Irishman's chances against the great Max Holloway, who Conor McGregor faces in the main event.
Ian Machado Garry made a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, where he shared his thoughts on the upcoming Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway bout set to headline UFC 329. The fight is a rematch many years in the making, and despite McGregor's five-year absence from the octagon, Garry believes too many people are writing his countryman off.
Ian Machado Garry gives his prediction for UFC 329
On July 11, Conor McGregor makes his long-awaited MMA return against Max Holloway at welterweight. The matchup, if all things go according to plan for 'The Notorious,' will be a repeat of his 2013 encounter with Holloway at UFC Fight Night 26, which he won via unanimous decision. Ian Machado Garry, who is gearing up to take on Islam Makhachev for welterweight championship gold at UFC 330 on Aug. 15, believes that a win is in the cards for his idol. So, when asked by Ariel Helwani if he thinks McGregor emerges victorious, Garry did not mince his words (19:07):
"Absolutely. It's not an easy fight. Max is very good at what he does. He's obviously been in there against the best guys in the world repeatedly over and over and over again, but whilst Conor's been inactive, the hunger will start to thrive in his mind and in his skull. And at 170 pounds, I think this fight's very, very interesting. Conor is going to have the knockout power."
It's a hopeful prediction from Garry, as McGregor will have to shake off five years of cage rust. Furthermore, questions remain regarding whether he'll be the same fighter at all following the gruesome leg break he suffered against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Hiatuses and career-threatening injuries aside, age could also be a factor. McGregor will be three days shy of his 38th birthday by the time he fights Holloway, and with a 1-3 run in his last four UFC fights, the sport's biggest star could be in for a rude awakening against Holloway, who has faced the likes of Charles Oliveira, the aforementioned Poirier, Ilia Topuria, and Justin Gaethje in the past two years.
However, if anyone can defy the odds, it's McGregor. He's made for MMA's brightest moments, and other fighters are already cautioning the world against dismissing McGregor's chances.
