Max Holloway Brings in Jack Della Maddalena to Prepare for Conor McGregor at UFC 329

Max Holloway (26-8 MMA) went and got himself a former welterweight champion to spar with. Video dropped this week showing him and Jack Della Maddalena drilling exchanges in camp ahead of the Conor McGregor rematch at UFC 329 on July 11. Holloway talked about the decision in his latest training footage and honestly it says a lot about how he's approaching this fight. 

The man has never fought at 170 before, and so his answer to that problem was to bring in a man who won a UFC title at that weight.

Why Max Holloway Picked Jack Della Maddalena for Sparring

Max Holloway has said he wants an early finish against McGregor. Wanting a finish and actually training for one at a weight class you've never competed at are two different things.

At featherweight, nobody questions Holloway. He holds records for significant strikes that might never get broken, but at 170, McGregor is naturally the bigger man.

He's been at welterweight for years. He still carries that left hand power that put people to sleep at 145 and 155.
 
Holloway needed rounds against someone who actually fights at welterweight, not someone who cuts down to make 170 but someone who competes there at the highest level. Jack Della Maddalena won the belt at that weight. 

He's got sharp boxing and real stopping power. Having him throw shots at you in camp is about as close to feeling McGregor's power as you can get without actually being in there with McGregor.

It's a smart move because sparring with featherweights was never going to prepare him for what's coming on July 11.

13 Years Between Fights Matching Holloway Against McGregor

McGregor beat Max Holloway back in 2013 when Holloway was basically a kid at 21 years old, six fights into his UFC career and still figuring things out.

McGregor won a clear decision. Both went on to become completely different fighters after that night.

Holloway won the featherweight belt, defended it three times. Became one of the most violent volume strikers the sport has ever seen. McGregor became the biggest draw in UFC history,won belts at two weights, then broke his leg against Poirier in July 2021 and hasn't been back since.

It's been five years out of the cage for McGregor. More recently, Holloway lost the BMF title to Charles Oliveira four months ago. The rust situation is completely one-sided and bringing in Jack Della Maddalena  shows Max Holloway isn't planning on letting McGregor find his rhythm.

What McGregor's Camp Looks Like

McGregor has been posting camp footage too, landing flying knees in sparring and showing photos from SBG Ireland. His main training partner is Italian fighter Nicolo Solli. He thanked fans on X and said he's feeling "very energized" heading into the final stretch.

There's a difference between the two camps that's hard to ignore. McGregor is shaking off five years of ring rust with regional level sparring partners. Holloway is sharpening up against a former UFC champion who can actually simulate what McGregor brings to the table at welterweight.

Three weeks out and both camps grinding. Both contestants are preparing for a fight that could change the direction of their careers.