MMA

Conor McGregor makes prediction for Max Holloway fight before fiery face-off

Published

3 weeks ago

July 10, 2026

Conor McGregor makes prediction for Max Holloway fight before fiery face-off

UFC veteran Conor McGregor has laid down his official prediction for his UFC 329 main event against Max Holloway.

At UFC 329, Conor McGregor will attempt to roll back the years in his blockbuster welterweight main event against Max Holloway. It's been five years since we have seen him compete, and while we all know how dangerous he can be with his hands, Max has been incredibly active by comparison.

RELATED: Conor McGregor calls himself an â€˜innocent man' despite verdict in civil sexual assault case

One thing McGregor always liked to do back in his prime was make predictions under the â€˜Mystic Mac' moniker. It didn't always pan out, but more often than not, he was able to shock the MMA community with the accuracy of his forecasts.

In yesterday's pre-fight press conference, McGregor made his prediction prior to a feisty face-off with Holloway.

McGregor shoots for â€˜Mystic Mac' prediction

â€œDestruction. I'm going to destroy Max,â€ McGregor said. â€œI'm going to eliminate Max, the final opponent of mine still within the UFC ranks. All of my other opponents are gone. Max is the last one left, and on Saturday night, he gets eliminated for good.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

If Conor does indeed â€˜destroy' Max Holloway tomorrow evening, then it will arguably be one of the biggest upsets of the year thus far. Some will point to the fact that it's taking place at welterweight, but either way, the headline will be that the Irishman has managed to make a successful comeback despite all of the naysayers saying he would be unable to do so.

Mystic Mac was a cute gimmick once upon a time, but now, McGregor really is facing a lot of pressure, knowing that an emphatic loss would likely serve as the end of the road for him in mixed martial arts.

What do you make of Conor McGregor's approach to his rematch against Max Holloway? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

MMA

Jake Paul calls out Dana White over Zuffa Boxing’s sanctioning shift

Published

3 hours ago

July 30, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Jake Paul calls out Dana White over Zuffa Boxing’s sanctioning shift

Jake
Paul has called out Dana
White over his softened stance on boxing's traditional
organizations.

Ahead of Zuffa Boxing’s launch in 2025, White repeatedly stated
that the promotion had no interest in doing business with the WBA,
WBC, IBF or WBO. However, following Zuffa Boxing 9, the promotion's
founder acknowledged that they would work with the aforementioned
organizations depending on the circumstances, prompting a reaction
from Paul on social media.

Jake Paul criticizes Dana White's changing stance on WBA, WBC,
IBF and WBO partnerships

When asked about working with the major sanctioning bodies at the
recent Zuffa Boxing presser, White claimed that he's willing to do
so for certain boxers.

â€œOn a case-by-case basis, trying to figure out what the fighters
want and what their goals are, we will try to figure out whatever
we can do to make those fights happen,â€ the
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO said.

This drew an immediate response from Paul, who highlighted the
apparent shift in White’s position.

â€œThey went from shi*ting on all of the boxing sanctioning bodies
and how they need to get rid of them for the good of boxing to now
this,â€ Paul wrote on X. â€œTruth is we need to further align
promoters and the sanctioning bodies to create the biggest
opportunities for boxers. That should be the goal. More
transparency, more collaboration and more big fights.â€

The change comes as Zuffa Boxing continues to expand its roster
with signings such as Jai Opetaia, Conor Benn and Shakur Stevenson,
while also co-promoting the welterweight title bout between Ryan
Garcia and Benn on Sept. 19 in Las Vegas.

They went from shitting on all of the boxing
sanctioning bodies and how they need to get rid of them for the
good of boxing to now this.

Truth is we need to further align promoters and the sanctioning
bodies to create the biggest opportunities for boxers. That should
be theâ€¦ https://t.co/Ln1joFYqBx

â€” Jake
Paul (@jakepaul)
July 27, 2026

MMA

Dan Hooker vows to ruin Salahdine Parnasse’s UFC debut at UFC Paris

Published

6 hours ago

July 30, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Dan Hooker vows to ruin Salahdine Parnasse’s UFC debut at UFC Paris

Dan
Hooker is eager to â€œruinâ€ Salahdine
Parnasse's
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

The longtime UFC lightweight will square off against the former
two-division
KSW champion in the
UFC Paris main event on Sept. 5 at Accor Arena. While the
French standout looks to announce himself on the sport’s biggest
stage, Hooker plans to silence the home crowd.

Dan Hooker targets Salahdine Parnasse's UFC arrival in UFC
Paris main event

Hooker has revealed that the bout announcement was quickly followed
by a barrage of hostile messages from Parnasse’s supporters,
including death threats.

â€œThe death threats have been outrageous,â€ Hooker told Submission
Radio. â€œI didn't get it when I fought [Benoit St.
Denis]. French people have been speaking French and telling me
I'm going to die and telling me they're going to kill meâ€¦ Whoever
this c*nt's fans are, they're outrageous. It's going to feel pretty
sweet to shut this kid's lights out and making these guys eat their
words.â€

The Kiwi added that he's excited at the opportunity to upset the
French crowd by derailing Parnasse’s hype train.

â€œI'm here to ruin hopes and dreams,â€ Hooker said. â€œThis kid wants
to come in, make a name for himself, crack the Top 10; he wants to
be a superstar. Well, I'm going to fly to France, and I'm going to
f*ck everyone's night up. That is my plan.â€

Parnasse (23-2) previously turned down the UFC and fought on the
first-ever MMA event on Netflix under the
Most Valuable Promotions banner. The UFC then returned with a
far better offer, hence the main event slot and ranked opponent in
Hooker (24-14).

MMA

Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad back on for RAF Crossover title fight

Published

8 hours ago

July 30, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Colby Covington vs. Belal Muhammad back on for RAF Crossover title fight

Two
Ultimate Fighting Championship-inspired crossover title bouts
are officially headed to Real American Freestyle.

Rivalries involving Colby
Covington, Belal
Muhammad, Merab
Dvalishvili and Henry
Cejudo are set to headline the promotion’s next two events. RAF
recently announced that Dvalishvili will meet Cejudo in the main
event of RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland, while Covington will
defend his cruiserweight crossover championship against Muhammad at
RAF 13 on Sept. 19 in Miami.

Colby Covington and Belal Muhammad bring UFC rivalry to Real
American Freestyle RAF 13

Both Dvalishvili vs. Cejudo and Muhammad vs. Covington will be
contested for crossover championships, a division created to allow
active and former UFC fighters to compete on the wrestling
mats.

Covington became the inaugural cruiserweight crossover champion
with a victory over UFC lightweight Arman
Tsarukyan at RAF 11 in July. Muhammad confronted Covington
during the post-event press conference, igniting a brawl that
immediately fueled talk of a showdown between the longtime rivals.
While the matchup was initially targeted for RAF 12, promotion
officials have now pushed it back to the September event.

Dvalishvili and Cejudo will instead headline RAF 12. Their rematch
will crown the inaugural lightweight crossover champion. RAF 12
will also feature a stacked undercard, including Jordan Burroughs
vs. Sean
Brady, Bo Nickal vs.
Max McEnelly and Tyron
Woodley vs. Joaquin
Buckley.

A catchweight matchup between social media personalities Larry
Wheels and Mike Holston, better known as “The Real Tarzann,” has
also been added to the RAF 13 lineup.

Championship bouts include Evan Wick vs. Jason Nolf for the RAF
middleweight title, David Carr vs. Tajmuraz Salkazanov for the
welterweight crown and Kennedy Blades vs. Diana
Avsaragova for the women’s middleweight belt. Elsewhere,
Gable
Steveson faces Anthony Cassioppi, while Vladimer
Khinchegashvili, Jesse Mendez, Johnni DiJulius, Asu
Almabayev, Masanosuke Ono, Ben Davino and Will Lewan are also
scheduled to compete.