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Max Holloway gives his opinion on whether Conor McGregor would meet him in the middle for a ‘point down’ slugfest

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2 months ago

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Max Holloway gives his opinion on whether Conor McGregor would meet him in the middle for a ‘point down’ slugfest

Max Holloway hasn't stood across the octagon from Conor McGregor in 13 years, but he'll finally get the chance to avenge that past loss when they meet again in the UFC 329 main event on Saturday.

In the lead-up to the highly anticipated fight, Holloway has certainly heard a lot of talk from McGregor — that much he always expected — but even he's been a little surprised by how much the Irish superstar is leaning on that past win from 2013. On that night, McGregor tore his ACL in the second round, and Holloway was dealing with a severe ankle injury, but the future two-division champion got the job done with a unanimous decision win.

As they prepare to clash in their rematch, Holloway is honest enough to admit that neither one of them should be banking on much from that first fight, although nobody has apparently shared that with McGregor.

“You guys have been seeing some interviews and him talking about the last one,†Holloway told MMA Fighting. “That was 13 years ago. It's kind of crazy. It's any of these rematches. I'm having these rematches 10 plus years later, and you can't take nothing away from that first time you fought. It is what it is. I can't wait. July 11. Return of the Max. Mystic Max. It's going to be a fun night.â€

While 13 years is a very long time, McGregor has earned a different number much more frequently lately, and that's five years. That's the amount of time that has passed since McGregor last competed in the UFC after dealing with a gruesome broken leg from his third encounter with Dustin Poirier back in 2021.

Of course, McGregor has promised that he's back and better than ever before, but it's impossible not to question what version shows up when he clashes with Holloway at UFC 329.

For his part, Holloway isn't thinking about the long layoff, or if McGregor is somehow returning past his prime, because making those kinds of assumptions could be disastrous.

“It's five years. It could have gone the other way,†Holloway explained. “We saw what he was doing in the five years, and that's where there's the questions. But I'm just mentally getting ready for the best Conor McGregor there is. Five years, you get to reset, you get to take care of your body, you get to not do weight cuts, and you just got to let your body recover for a little bit.

“I know everybody [is going to say] ‘Is Max blind? We saw him partying and blah, blah, blah.' But it is what it is. Maybe he wanted you to see that. No one knows what happened behind closed doors, have a camera following him around 24/7. At the end of the day, I'm getting ready for the best Conor McGregor, and I can't wait.â€

Coming off a disappointing outing against Charles Oliveira in his last fight, Holloway knows he's got plenty to prove in this fight, even if the majority of the narrative surrounding this rematch has been about McGregor.

That's why Holloway is determined to shut McGregor down and hopefully put him away in devastating fashion just to cement his status as one of the best fighters in the world.

But what happens if McGregor finds a way to stick around and make this a dog fight across all five rounds? What if McGregor just refuses to go away, and he's still swinging for the fences as the final moments tick away on the clock?

In that scenario, Holloway might get the chance to once again point down to the canvas and invite a slugfest just as he did to Justin Gaethje at UFC 300, which resulted in one of the craziest and most memorable knockouts in combat sports history.

But would McGregor actually risk it all in that moment?

“For sure. I think he would if we get to that point, and he has the energy to do it,†Holloway said. “We'll see what happens. If we don't get to that point, that'd be great. But if we do, I think he is [down]. Why not? Maybe. I would say he would do it. I've got nothing but respect for the guy. At the end of the day, I'd say he'd do it, but we've got to factor in how the fight went. I don't know how the fight is going. If the fight is competitive, I'd say for sure.

“If the fight is not [competitive], maybe not so. But there's so many different scenarios, but my heart is telling me that he probably would do it. He's back. His fans are there. People screaming for him. I think he might just push himself to go do it.â€

In a perfect world, Holloway hopes McGregor never makes it that far because he reserves that “point down†move for those final 10 seconds in the last round.

And for all the talk about the pressure surrounding McGregor and his comeback, Holloway doesn't discount the importance of this fight for his own career moving forward. A win puts Holloway in prime position to potentially battle for a UFC title again, but a loss sends him careening in the exact opposite direction, and that's the last thing he wants.

“I mean, it's do-or-die for both of us, I believe,†Holloway said. “There's a lot riding on this fight. Even though it's at 170, you see the 155-champ Justin Gaethje talking about this fight. You see a lot of people talking about if he does this, he can do this, he can go to the Islam [Makhachev] route. At the end of the day, it's a huge fight. That's all I can focus on. I'm just focused on Conor McGregor. I need to go out there, get my hand raised in exciting fashion. Not just get my hand raised. This sport, as you can see, just getting your hand raised sometimes doesn't get the job done for you.

“At the end of the day, I've got to go out there, I've got to be exciting. I've got to get a big finish, or if not a big finish, a super dominant win in a way where people are just mind-blown, and people are excited about it. People keep forgetting. Yes, we're fighters, we need to win, but we're also entertainers. That's what I plan to do. That's why people tune into my fights, and this fight is going to be no different.â€

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MMA

Cris Cyborg wants to ‘save’ UFC 332 with Amanda Nunes revenge fight

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31 minutes ago

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September 5, 2026

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Cris Cyborg wants to ‘save’ UFC 332 with Amanda Nunes revenge fight
Cris
Cyborg has offered the
Ultimate Fighting Championship a solution to its UFC 332
main event problem.

Cyborg took to social media to call for a rematch with former
two-division champion Amanda
Nunes, suggesting the fight could headline the Oct. 3 numbered
event in Salt Lake City, which still doesn't have an announced
headliner. The pair faced off back in 2018, when Nunes won via
first-round KO.

Cris Cyborg calls for Amanda Nunes rematch after UFC 332
headliner uncertainty

A women's flyweight title fight between Valentina
Shevchenko and Natalia
Silva was rumored for UFC 332, but recent reports indicate
Shevchenko has been forced to withdraw. With other UFC champions
having recently fought or already booked for later events, the
promotion appears to be scrambling to find a viable headliner.

Cyborg has offered a solution. The former UFC champ took to X to
call for a rematch with her former foe, Nunes. The latter was
expected to take on Kayla
Harrison earlier this year, but a neck injury to Harrison saw
the matchup fall through.

“[Amanda Nunes] tired of waiting for [Kayla Harrison]?†Cyborg
wrote on X. “Feel like saving an UFC event?â€

They initially squared off at
UFC 232 in December 2018, when Nunes emerged victorious to
become a double champ. “The Lioness†retired in 2023, while Cyborg
most recently competed at
PFL Tampa on Aug. 22, defeating Ketlen
Vieira by unanimous decision in what was expected to be her
final mixed martial arts bout.

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MMA

UFC Paris: 'Hooker vs. Parnasse' Live Results and Highlights

Published

2 hours ago

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September 5, 2026

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UFC Paris: 'Hooker vs. Parnasse' Live Results and Highlights
Trending:

NSAC doubles down on punishment for UFC 329 fighters, fines Paddy Pimblett and two other big names

The Octagon returns to France for today's UFC Paris event, a 14-bout fight card headlined by Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse.

Hooker (24-14 MMA) will enter the contest with hopes of snapping a two-fight losing skid. ‘The Hangman' most previously competed this past February at UFC 325 in Sydney, where he suffered a second-round TKO loss to Benoit Saint Denis. That setback was preceded by a submission loss to Arman Tsarukyan in November of last year. Prior to those defeats, Dan Hooker had put together a three-fight winning streak, a stretch which included victories over Jalin Turner and Mateusz Gamrot.

Meanwhile, Salahdine Parnasse (23-2 MMA) will be making his Octagon debut this evening in Paris. The former two-division KSW champion will enter the contest on a five-fight winning streak, with his most recent victory coming over Kenneth Cross at May's ‘Rousey vs. Carano' MVP MMA event.

Today's UFC Paris event is co-headlined by a lightweight bout featuring Fares Ziam taking on Axel Sola.

Ziam (18-5 MMA) will enter the contest looking to rebound, this after suffering a decision loss to Tom Nolan in his most recent Octagon appearance this past June. Prior to that setback, the ‘Smile Killer' had strung together a six-fight winning streak, a stretch which included knockout victories over Matt Frevola and Nazim Sadykhov.

Meanwhile, Axel Sola (12-1-1 MMA) most previously competed this past July, where he scored a first-round submission victory over Ismael Bonfim. Prior to that triumph, the Frenchman was coming off the first loss of his professional career which he suffered at the hands of Mason Jones by way of unanimous decision.

If that wasn't enough to get you interested, today's UFC Paris main card lineup also features a highly anticipated middleweight contest between Michael Page and Nursulton Ruziboev.

Michael ‘Venom' Page walking out at UFC London. Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Page (25-3 MMA) will enter the bout on a three-fight winning streak, this after scoring decision victories over Sharabutdin Magomedov, Jared Cannonier and Sam Patterson in his most recent Octagon appearances. Prior to those triumphs, ‘Venom' had suffered a decision loss to recent UFC welterweight title challenger Ian Machado Garry.

Meanwhile, Nursulton Ruziboev (37-9-2 MMA) also currently boasts a three-fight winning streak, with his most recent Octagon victory coming over Andrey Pulyaev via submission this past June. The Uzbekistan native has gone 12-1 over his past thirteen fights overall.

Get all of today's live results and highlights below:

UFC Paris Main Card (3pm EST on Paramount+)

Lightweight: Dan Hooker vs. Salahdine Parnasse –

Lightweight: Farès Ziam vs. Axel Sola –

Middleweight: Michael Page vs. Nursulton Ruziboev –

Welterweight: Daniil Donchenko vs. Punahele Soriano –

Featherweight: Kurtis Campbell vs. Trevor Peek –

Featherweight: Losene Keita vs. Muhammad Naimov –

UFC Paris Prelims (12pm EST on Paramount+)

Featherweight: Morgan Charrière vs. Felipe Lima –

Heavyweight: Mário Pinto vs. Ryan Spann –

Light Heavyweight – Oumar Sy vs. Modestas Bukauskas – Bukauskas def. Sy via TKO (knee and punches) at 3:57 of Round 2

Featherweight: Nathaniel Wood vs. Pavel Andrusca – Andrusca def. Wood by unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

Flyweight: Michael Aljarouj vs. Fabià Sintes – Sintes def. Aljarouj by unanimous decision (29-28 x2, 29-27)

Women's Bantamweight: Nora Cornolle vs. Klaudia Syguła – Cornolle def. Syguła by unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

Middleweight: Matthieu Letho Duclos vs. Luis Felipe Dias – Duclos def. Dias via TKO (punches) at 4:35 of Round 1

Women's Strawweight: Delphine Benouaich vs. Sofia Montenegro – Benouaich def. Montenegro via technical submission (rear-naked choke) at 4:22 of Round 2

Who are you picking to win today's event headliner between Dan Hooker and Salahdine Parnasse? Share your predictions in the comment section PENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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MMA

Movsar Evloev has a blunt response to Alexander Volkanovski’s UFC 333 plan

Published

4 hours ago

on

September 5, 2026

By

Movsar Evloev has a blunt response to Alexander Volkanovski’s UFC 333 plan
While Movsar
Evloev is grateful to be taking on a legend in his maiden title
bout in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship, the Russian foresees one-way
traffic.

Evloev (20-0) is set to challenge Volkanovski (28-4) for the UFC
featherweight championship in the
UFC 333 main event on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi. The matchup has
been brewing for quite some time now and Evloev claims his skills
have improved, predicting he'll have his way against the two-time
Aussie champ.

Movsar Evloev questions Alexander Volkanovski's strategy ahead
of their UFC 333 title fight

Evloev opened up about his upcoming fight with Volkanovski in an
interview with MMA Junkie, in which he outlined his improvements in
the striking department.

“To become a champion while beating a legend, that’s the dream of
fighters,†Evloev said. “My skills are getting better. My striking,
everyone noticed, is a little bit better than I do before. We’re
confident to fight with a guy like Alex. We respect him. We’ll
respect him even after we beat him. Nothing but respect, but this
is my time.â€

Volkanovski has previously expressed confidence in his ability to
deal with Evloev’s wrestling pressure and force the fight into a
striking battle. The latter questions the champ's approach.

“He's been a little illogical,†Evloev added. “I will do anything I
want. Whenever I decide to take him down, I will take him down… I’m
not scared of his striking skills, too. He’s great. But like I
said, my time is coming. Oct. 24, everybody will see. I’m going to
win.â€

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