Max Holloway Blasts "Delusional" Conor McGregor: "He Felt Slow in There, He Looked Old"

Max Holloway is not buying any of Conor McGregor's post-fight explanations. Following their high-profile lightweight rematch at UFC 329, the Hawaiian star held nothing back when addressing the Irishman's claims regarding why the bout ended so abruptly.

McGregor suffered a torn ACL just over a minute into the first round, resulting in a TKO victory for Holloway. In the weeks following the event, the former two-division champion suggested that moisture from the walkout production’s dry ice made the Octagon canvas slippery, leading to the injury. McGregor also insisted that he was en route to delivering a "generational beating."

Addressing those comments directly on his YouTube channel, Holloway dismissed the production theory and offered a harsh assessment of McGregor's physical form.

“For the dude to be talking about how it was slippery because of the dry ice, I don’t know what he’s talking about because I didn’t fall,” Holloway said. “For him to be talking about this generational beating, dude is delusional because to me he felt slow in there, he looked old. If there was a generational beating, it wasn’t gonna be on his end, it wasn’t gonna be coming from his side.”

Holloway Points Out Reality After Long-Awaited Rematch

The clash at UFC 329 marked a long-awaited chapter between two of the sport's biggest names, coming more than a decade after McGregor earned a decision win over Holloway back in 2013. However, with McGregor returning from a lengthy layoff, Holloway felt he was standing across from a completely different competitor.

Holloway (27-8 MMA, 23-8 UFC) noted that the speed and timing that once defined the Irish superstar were absent during their brief exchange. While McGregor's team has pushed for the TKO result to be overturned to a no-contest due to the alleged canvas conditions, neither the UFC nor the Nevada State Athletic Commission has given weight to the appeal.

Despite the abrupt ending, the feud between the two fan favorites remains far from settled. McGregor is currently sidelined while recovering from knee surgery, targeting a return in 2027 for the final fight on his UFC contract.

Holloway has expressed interest in running it back for a definitive trilogy bout down the line. However, "Blessed" made it clear that if they do meet inside the Octagon again, McGregor will need to drop the excuses and accept the reality of where both fighters currently stand.