Max Holloway is eyeing an early finish in Conor McGregor rematch at UFC 329
Max Holloway has opened up about his intentions to secure an early finish against Conor McGregor in their much-awaited rematch that'll headline UFC 329.
Max Holloway and Conor McGregor have both forged unique legacies for themselves in the combat sports realm. Ahead of their highly anticipated second encounter, Holloway has asserted that he'd like to secure an early finish against the Irishman.
Their first clash against each other was a featherweight MMA bout at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen way back in August of 2013. McGregor, despite suffering a knee injury, managed to defeat Holloway via unanimous decision.
Currently, Holloway is booked to face McGregor in a rematch at welterweight. Their fight is set to headline the UFC 329 card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11. The fight card is a part of the 2026 UFC International Fight Week.
Max Holloway seeking early win in rematch against Conor McGregor at UFC 329
In a video posted to his official YouTube channel, former UFC featherweight champion and ex-BMF champion Max Holloway discussed the rematch. Hinting at his goal to finish Conor McGregor early, Holloway stated:
"I think fans are in for a treat with this fight. Two strikers, fun fight, you know. I mean, two mixed martial artists, you know. It's going to be great at a weight where me and him is gonna both come in healthy. It's gonna be a fun fight, man. I think so. I'm going out there. I'm not looking for a long time in there. I'm looking for a big finish."
The striking savant added, "International Fight Week -- it's gonna be a huge crowd, huge fight. And I wanna leave it with a bang."
The Hawaiian fighter implied that the McGregor matchup is important for him on a personal level and for his legacy. The 34-year-old pointed out that he's getting the opportunity to right the wrong -- avenge his defeat -- from several years back in his career.
Holloway indicated that having a victory over McGregor on his record would be a huge accomplishment for him. Additionally, "Blessed" suggested that McGregor's comeback is great for the sport of MMA, as evidenced by the incredible ticket sales for their upcoming fight.
Watch Max Holloway discuss the Conor McGregor rematch below (*comments at the 4:05-minute mark of the video):
Max Holloway and Conor McGregor are both eyeing a return to the win column
Max Holloway has gone 1-2 in his past three octagon appearances. The fan-favorite veteran fighter last competed in a rematch against ex-UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in March, losing the BMF title to him via unanimous decision in their lightweight bout.
Holloway had previously beaten Oliveira via an injury-induced TKO in their first encounter at featherweight in August 2015.
Meanwhile, former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor also happens to be 1-2 in his three most recent octagon outings. A key difference, however, is that the 37-year-old hasn't competed as frequently as Holloway over the past several years.
McGregor last fought at UFC 264 in July of 2021, sustaining a mid-fight leg injury and losing via TKO in a lightweight bout against Dustin Poirier.
Following that, McGregor's welterweight matchup against Michael Chandler in June 2024 fell apart after "The Notorious" was afflicted with a toe injury. That said, he's now set to finally return against Holloway.
