5 UFC stars who are better boxers than Conor McGregor
Conor Mcgregor is undoubtedly the biggest star in UFC history. Throughout his career, 'The Notorious' has taken himself and the sport of MMA to new heights. It was his skills that helped him achieve such historic success.
McGregor's technical striking stood out from the moment he stepped inside the octagon. He showcased phenomenal accuracy, timing and power. No one, including Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier or Jose Aldo, could deal with the Irishman's boxing. After becoming the UFC featherweight champion in 2015, McGregor moved to lightweight.
Even at a higher weight, his movement and speed were unaffected. In 2016, he put on a striking clinic against Eddie Alvarez and became the UFC lightweight champion. He even held his own against one of the best defensive boxers of all time, Floyd Mayweather.
The former double champ was once considered by many to be the best boxer in the UFC. However, that may no longer be the case. He has not found much success since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018. While the Irishman's accuracy, speed and power have remained intact, his footwork and movement have changed. While fighters often alter their style, in McGregor's case, these changes have not been beneficial.
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McGregor has also been affected by inactivity. 'The Notorious' has fought only four times since 2018. After back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier, many believe that the competition has caught up to and, ultimately, surpassed him. So let's take a look at 5 current UFC stars who are better boxers than Conor McGregor.
#5. Max Holloway - former UFC featherweight champion
Fast hands, vicious combinations and durability are the main elements of Max Holloway's style. The Hawaiian started his mixed martial arts journey at a young age. He was only twenty when he faced Conor McGregor in 2013. 'Blessed' was younger and had less experience than McGregor. The Irishman won but, despite his best efforts, was unable to finish Holloway.
'Blessed' has improved exponentially since his loss. From January 2014 to July 2019, he won all of his featherweight fights. He sharpened his accuracy and increased his already high striking volume.
Holloway also improved his head movement and countering ability. While not the strongest featherweight, Holloway likes to string together combinations that overwhelm his opponent.
He has outboxed opponents like Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, Anthony Pettis, Calvin Kattar, and many more. While McGregor wilted under Poirier's power at UFC 257, back in 2019 at UFC 236, 'Blessed' took Poirier's best shots and survived. Earlier this year, Holloway showed just how much his boxing has improved while facing Calvin Kattar.
#UFCFightIsland7 Official Result: Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA 50-43, 50-43, 50-42) def Calvin Kattar by Unanimous Decision
All Results: ufc.com/news/ufc-fight…
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For five rounds, 'Blessed' brutalized his opponent and landed 746 total punches while effortlessly dodging most of Kattar's strikes. Currently, the only visible hole in Hollway's boxing is his lack of defense. It's something Alexander Volkanovski has taken full advantage of to out-point the Hawaiian in their previous fights.