"We're always on the shortlist for Conor" - Max Holloway discusses possibility of his rematch against Conor McGregor
Max Holloway has asserted he might rematch MMA legend Conor McGregor. Their first fight took place at UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen in August 2013. It witnessed McGregor defeat Holloway via unanimous decision.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Max Holloway opined he’s always on the shortlist of possible opponents for UFC icon Conor McGregor. Upon being asked whether he’s been promised a UFC featherweight title shot if he beats Yair Rodriguez in his upcoming fight, Max Holloway stated:
“I mean, yeah, you know, I would. I got five title defenses, and I would like that six. But with possible fights and stuff, there are bigger fights that UFC discussed with us. I got a win over the 155 champ (Charles Oliveira) right now. We’re always on the shortlist for Conor (McGregor). Like I said, that last (McGregor) fight, before we got injured, we was one of the replacement fighters. And then, I’m the best boxer in the UFC. So, use your imagination, my friend. It’s a wild world today.”
Ariel Helwani pointed out Max Holloway and Conor McGregor occasionally hint at fighting the other. Addressing this, Holloway said:
“Obviously, Conor wants Dustin (Poirier), or he wants Nate (Diaz), or whatever. But anybody at ’45 or ’55 after those guys, my name pops up. You can go call (UFC executive) Hunter (Campbell) right now. Ask him – Who can sell? Who’s gonna sell numbers with Conor? And they’re gonna drop my name all the time. So, at the end of the day, I’m always on the shortlist for Conor.”
You can watch Max Holloway’s conversation with Ariel Helwani in the video below:
Max Holloway could be headed for a trilogy fight, while Conor McGregor aims to return in 2022
Max Holloway has lost twice to current UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Nevertheless, both losses were contested fights that went the distance.
Presently, ‘Blessed’ is set to fight Yair Rodriguez at UFC Fight Night: Holloway vs. Rodriguez on November 13th. A win over Rodriguez is expected to earn Holloway another featherweight title shot, which would mean a 2022 trilogy fight against Volkanovski.
On the other hand, Conor McGregor is still recovering from the gruesome injury he sustained in a lightweight bout. ‘Notorious’ suffered a nasty leg break in his third fight against Dustin Poirier in July.
Regardless, Conor McGregor has vowed to return stronger than ever in 2022. The Irishman has teased fights at welterweight and even as high as middleweight for when he returns.
Conor McGregor’s next opponent and exact comeback date are yet to be revealed. Considering the aforementioned variables at play, a possible fight between Max Holloway and Conor McGregor appears unlikely to materialize anytime soon.