Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway went down 11 years ago to the day. Both were up-and-coming featherweight prospects throwing down on the undercard. This was a hungry Conor McGregor meeting a young Max Holloway.
Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway – August 17, 2013
A former two-division champion in Cage Warriors, and only fight fight thus far in his UFC career, the hungry Conor McGregor had still yet to make an impact in the UFC. He was still considered an up-and-comer at this point, having merely one win inside the UFC.
The 21-year-old Max Holloway had a 3-3 record in the UFC and needed a win. During this fight, ‘Notorious‘ McGregor landed some impressive sharp punches with some precise lead kicks. He tore his ACL and was forced to shoot for takedowns. Ultimately, Ireland’s Mcgregor would get his hand raised after three rounds.
Despite a mix of wins and losses, this was the turning point for Holloway’s career. After taking this loss, he went on a 13-fight win streak, capturing the featherweight title, and had impressive wins over fighters such as Jose Aldo, Anthony Pettis, and Charles Oliveira, among others.
He wasn’t quite the megastar he is today, but Conor McGregor was clearly a talented fighter as the matchmakers gave him challenging bouts on his rise through the featherweight division. The young fighter defeated Chad Mendes, Jose Aldo, Dustin Poirier, and several others with his powerful left cross. Later, McGregor would make history by capturing two world titles in the UFC.
UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen
UFC Fight Night: Shogun vs. Sonnen in 2013 was a pretty great event. Perpetual title contender Chael Sonnen was able to submit former Champion Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. Heavyweight Travis Browne used a front kick to knock out Alistair Overeem. And Matt Brown would only need 30 seconds to knock out Mike Pyle.
