McGregor had Rogan in stitches with jabs at Holloway ahead of UFC 329
Conor McGregor is McGregor again. In the first face-off with Max Holloway ahead of UFC 329, set for July 11 in Las Vegas, the Irishman unleashed a string of taunts that left Joe Rogan collapsing with laughter – and reminded the world why the most anticipated fight of the year holds that status.
Irish paws and memories of Boston
With Rogan positioned between the two fighters during the UFC White House event in Washington, McGregor wasted no time. He got straight to the point with the characteristic brutality that made him a two-division champion.
“You said you’re the best boxer? We’ll see about that!”, the Dubliner fired at Holloway. He then dug up the memory of their meeting in Boston in 2013, when he won on points in only his second UFC fight – while Holloway was in his sixth. “I dreamed him on the Octagon canvas with my big Irish paws in his face. And I’m going to do it again.”
The reference isn’t just nostalgic. McGregor uses it as a central argument to question Holloway’s status as the best pound-for-pound featherweight in UFC history – a title the Hawaiian carried for years with near-unanimous backing. The Irishman vehemently disagrees. And he doesn’t mince words to make it clear.
A return five years later – and with ambitions for three belts
The clash comes at a particular moment in McGregor’s career. He hasn’t fought since July 2021, when he fractured his leg in the trilogy with Dustin Poirier. That’s more than five years of absence, but the Irishman, now 37, shows up with his confidence intact – perhaps excessive, for those who prefer caution. For anyone who knows McGregor, it’s familiar.
The fight will be contested at welterweight, 170 pounds – new territory for Holloway, who in 16 years and 36 fights has never moved up to the category. McGregor sees that transition as a concrete disadvantage for his opponent. “You won’t touch me. And even if you do, I’ll laugh in your face. This is another world against me.”
Holloway, for his part, didn’t back down. “I’m a Hawaiian warrior. I’m going to touch your face over and over. I already know it.” McGregor cut him off right away: “Relax and stay quiet while I talk. Max is my son – sorry for his lack of manners.”
What’s at stake beyond the belt
A McGregor win here wouldn’t be merely symbolic. The Irishman has two fights left on his current contract before becoming a free agent – and he’s already warned that he wants to continue. A winning streak could project him directly into title fights, paving the way for what he has chased for years: becoming the first three-division champion in UFC history, something Alex Pereira recently attempted and failed to achieve.
The UFC 329 main card takes place at the T-Mobile Arena, the traditional stage of International Fight Week. The organization could hardly choose a bigger attraction for the most important event on its annual calendar. McGregor is back. And he’s back in the most McGregor way possible.
