Max Holloway Claims Rematch Against McGregor will be Biggest Fight of Career
Despite being a former champion and facing some of the biggest names in MMA history, Holloway believes Saturday's rematch with McGregor carries more attention than any other fight of his career.
After more than a decade in the UFC, Max Holloway has accomplished almost everything a fighter could ask for. "Blessed" has stepped into the Octagon no less than 32 times, has faced names like Jose Aldo, Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski and Justin Gaethje, and has captured both the UFC featherweight title and the symbolic BMF belt. He is one of the biggest names in featherweight history. Yet Holloway believes Saturday's rematch against Conor McGregor will be the biggest fight of his career.
UFC 329 Main Event Biggest Fight of Max Holloway's Career
Scheduled for Saturday in Las Vegas, UFC 329 will feature a main event rematch between Holloway and McGregor. For "Blessed," it will be the biggest fight of his career, as the attention surrounding the bout extends beyond the UFC audience.
Speaking to Ag Fight, the former champion pointed out that the fight is being discussed even while the FIFA World Cup is taking place.
"Yes, definitely. It's the biggest fight ," Holloway began. "There's a World Cup going on right now, and we're talking about Holloway vs. McGregor 2. That just shows how big this fight is. A lot of eyes are on it. We've got one more week, so let's have some fun."
Rematch a Different Fight from 2013
Holloway and McGregor first met in August 2013, when the Irishman earned a unanimous decision victory. At the time, both fighters were still in the early stages of their UFC careers and neither had become a champion in the promotion.
More than a decade later, both return to the Octagon as two of the most recognizable names in the sport, and "Blessed" now has the opportunity to avenge that defeat by showing how much he has improved as a fighter.
"It's a totally different scenario . We were both young back then, trying to make a name for ourselves," Holloway said. "Now, years later, we've achieved what we have in our careers. I believe we've both been successful in building our names. I'm excited to have the opportunity to fix the mistakes I made and go out there and show the world the work I've been doing."
For Holloway, the rematch represents more than a chance to avenge one of the earliest defeats of his career. It is also a chance to show just how much he has evolved since that first meeting.
