Legendary KO artist Matt Brown explains why Conor McGregor can beat Max Holloway at UFC 329

Conor McGregor last competed in a professional combat sports match way back in July 2021. It was a lightweight MMA bout, a trilogy clash against Dustin Poirier, which headlined UFC 264.  The fight saw McGregor suffer a horrific leg break, which resulted in a TKO loss and a lengthy break from MMA competition for him. 

Currently, he's booked to make his comeback against Max Holloway in a welterweight matchup at UFC 329 on July 11. Some feel that Holloway, who's a former UFC featherweight champion and former BMF champion, would be too dangerous an opponent for McGregor because the latter has been inactive for the past several years.

Legendary MMA KO artist and ex-UFC welterweight star Matt Brown has explained why McGregor mustn't be underestimated in the upcoming fight. 

Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway rematch -- Matt Brown explains why "The Notorious" could win at UFC 329

During his conversation with MMA Fighting's Damon Martin, Matt Brown was asked whether the UFC is setting up Conor McGregor for failure. Brown responded by stating, "Yeah. That's a good question. I'm not sure, man. Because I can also -- I can see the argument where you think Conor would have a good chance."

Brown alluded to McGregor's power at welterweight. For context, the Irishman boasts a dominant knockout victory over the legendary Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone in the 170-pound division, a win he bagged in 2020.

Conor McGregor Can Feast on Striking Against Matt Brown 

Additionally, Brown pointed out that Holloway is hittable. "The Immortal" also highlighted that the Hawaiian fighter has considerable wear and tear on his body from his long and grueling MMA career. 

Brown said, "You know, for one, it's at 170 . You know, Conor has good power, right, at 170. Like, Max is hittable. He's certainly a hittable guy. Conor has a win over him in the past. Max has been through the wringer, you know. He's got a lot of miles on those tires, man." 

Indicating that one could make the argument that Holloway isn't the worst possible matchup for McGregor right now, Brown added, "So I can see where you can make that argument that it's not the worst." 

 

Watch Brown discuss the topic below: 

.@iamtheimmortal believes McGregor absolutely has a path to victory against Max Holloway:

"Conor has good power at 170. Max is hittable. … It’s not the worst ."

(🎥 @DamonMartin) pic.twitter.com/mkDrBj67AX

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) May 26, 2026

Conor McGregor and Max Holloway's Recent Run in the UFC

Conor McGregor is 1-2 in his past three fights inside the octagon. The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion knocked out Donald Cerrone at welterweight in January 2020. He then suffered a TKO loss in his rematch against Dustin Poirier at lightweight in January 2021. That was followed by his leg injury-marred TKO loss against Poirier in July 2021. 

Meanwhile, Max Holloway is also 1-2 in his past three octagon appearances. "Blessed" suffered a knockout defeat against Ilia Topuria in their UFC featherweight title bout in October 2024. He then defended his BMF belt by besting Dustin Poirier via unanimous decision in their trilogy fight that transpired at lightweight in July 2025. 

That was followed by Holloway's latest fight, which witnessed him lose his BMF title by unanimous decision in a rematch against Charles Oliveira at lightweight in March 2026.