Max Holloway calls Conor McGregor an ‘exhibition’ fighter: He should ‘call out CM Punk’

Max Holloway mocks Conor McGregor and says his next fight should be against CM Punk.

Conor McGregor might be the UFC lightweight champion and the biggest star in the sport, but featherweight champ Max Holloway doesn’t think the Irishman is deserving of his championship status.

McGregor, 29, has been criticized for not defending his UFC title(s), and ‘The Notorious’ recently put the lightweight division on hold to pursue a blockbuster boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

McGregor lost the fight via 10th round TKO, and has promised to return to the Octagon to defend his title. Holloway, however, who lost to McGregor back in 2013, isn’t convinced.

‘Blessed’ told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour (h/t Adam Guillen Jr. of MMA Mania) that McGregor should call out CM Punk because he’s only interested in ‘exhibition matches’.

“It is what it is. He says our fight between me and him is there, but it’s low on the totem pole,” Holloway said. “Then he is over here talking about fighting Paulie in MMA. It’s like, the guy should call out C.M. Punk, at least CM Punk got some time in UFC. I don’t know, it makes no sense to me. This guy is over here fighting exhibition matches. If that’s what you want to do, and he don’t want to be about that champ life, so be it.”

Punk, real name Phil Brooks, made his MMA debut last year against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 and lost via first-round submission. Punk’s coach, Duke Roufus, hinted that the former WWE star might not be finished with the UFC.

Holloway, 25, is on an impressive 11-fight win streak and TKO’d Jose Aldo to unify the featherweight titles at UFC 212 this past June. The Hawaiian has improved tremendously since his loss to McGregor at UFC Fight Night 26.

McGregor, who beat Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight belt at UFC 205, has stated that he will return to MMA to defend his title prove that he is the No. 1 ranked fighter in the world.

Max Holloway mocks Conor McGregor and says his next fight should be against CM Punk.

Conor McGregor might be the UFC lightweight champion and the biggest star in the sport, but featherweight champ Max Holloway doesn’t think the Irishman is deserving of his championship status.

McGregor, 29, has been criticized for not defending his UFC title(s), and ‘The Notorious’ recently put the lightweight division on hold to pursue a blockbuster boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

McGregor lost the fight via 10th round TKO, and has promised to return to the Octagon to defend his title. Holloway, however, who lost to McGregor back in 2013, isn’t convinced.

‘Blessed’ told Ariel Helwani on Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour (h/t Adam Guillen Jr. of MMA Mania) that McGregor should call out CM Punk because he’s only interested in ‘exhibition matches’.

“It is what it is. He says our fight between me and him is there, but it’s low on the totem pole,” Holloway said. “Then he is over here talking about fighting Paulie in MMA. It’s like, the guy should call out C.M. Punk, at least CM Punk got some time in UFC. I don’t know, it makes no sense to me. This guy is over here fighting exhibition matches. If that’s what you want to do, and he don’t want to be about that champ life, so be it.”

Punk, real name Phil Brooks, made his MMA debut last year against Mickey Gall at UFC 203 and lost via first-round submission. Punk’s coach, Duke Roufus, hinted that the former WWE star might not be finished with the UFC.

Holloway, 25, is on an impressive 11-fight win streak and TKO’d Jose Aldo to unify the featherweight titles at UFC 212 this past June. The Hawaiian has improved tremendously since his loss to McGregor at UFC Fight Night 26.

McGregor, who beat Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight belt at UFC 205, has stated that he will return to MMA to defend his title prove that he is the No. 1 ranked fighter in the world.