UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway wants Conor McGregor again, but understands it’d probably take place at lightweight.
Max Holloway has come a long way since a loss to Conor McGregor back in 2013. Since then, the Hawaiian fighter has reeled off 11 straight wins, claiming the interim UFC featherweight title, and then unifying it with a huge win over Jose Aldo. McGregor ran his own route at featherweight at the same time, claiming the belt but never defending it before moving up to lightweight.
Now, Holloway wants that rematch. But he knows that it’ll probably involve him going up in weight to do it. He recently spoke to FloCombat about McGregor:
“That man needs to tell himself that to get up then so be it. At the end of the day, I’m here waiting. Right now, it’s this fairytale they have that they don’t want to end. You talked a fairytale with that Nate [Diaz] fight but then they came up saying it was at 170 and he’s three times his size and blah, blah, blah. It’s a fairytale that he’s holding onto and it’s a fairytale he doesn’t want to end.”
…
“He can go around and tell everyone he’s the featherweight champion, but he keeps forgetting numbers. It’s 2017. Imagine LeBron (James) going around and saying that he didn’t want to play against Golden State this year because he beat them the year before. That makes no sense, and Golden State ended up winning.
“People look at this sport different than other sports, and it blows my mind. The whole thing is just crazy.”
…
“I’m turning 26, I’m growing, so if that fight happens, it’s probably at (155). Don’t forget your boy is Hawaiian and Samoan. I love to eat. Lightweight is not out of the question.”
Holloway seems set to face off with Frankie Edgar for the 145-pound belt in the near future, possibly at UFC 217 in December. But nothing has been announced as of yet. McGregor is currently weighing his options in MMA and boxing.