McGregor open to Holloway rematch: He’s not the best boxer in MMA

Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

“[Max] is not the best boxer and I’ll prove that on Sunday”. Max Holloway proclaimed himself the ‘best boxer in MMA’ during his five-round masterclass against Calvin Kattar at U…


UFC Fight Night: McGregor v Holloway
Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

“[Max] is not the best boxer and I’ll prove that on Sunday”.

Max Holloway proclaimed himself the ‘best boxer in MMA’ during his five-round masterclass against Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Island 7 last Saturday, but Conor McGregor might have something to say about that.

In fact, he does.

‘The Notorious’ praised ‘Blessed’ for his standout performance against Kattar but immediately shot down the notion that Max has the best hands in MMA, predicting a boxing masterclass of his own against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 this weekend.

“I’m certainly more stable and connected to the floor and then I can flash it up,” McGregor told The Mac Life ahead of his rematch with Poirier. “I can go through all styles, I can paint many pictures inside that Octagon. It’s just another wrinkle in my beautiful suit so I look forward to getting in and showcasing all my skills. Boxing is certainly prevalent but I’m flying through the air also. I’m ready for it all.

“[Max] is not the best boxer and I’ll prove that on Sunday,” McGregor concluded. “Watch, I’ll end up kicking bleedin’ Dustin in the head like the last one. I had the boxing crew with me and I end up kicking Donald in the head and breaking his face with my shoulders. I have so many shots and it will just come out magically on the night, so we’ll see what happens.”

McGregor, who beat Holloway via unanimous decision in a featherweight contest back in 2013, is also open to the idea of a rematch with the former UFC featherweight champion — but at lightweight.

“I thought it was a solid performance,” McGregor said of Holloway’s 25-minute thrashing of Kattar. “He fought an up and comer and he done well. I was actually doing an interview there and he skateboarded by the window, so he’s obviously hanging around. Yeah, fair play to him. More power to him. He’s definitely in the pipeline for a bout against me, for sure. I would happily rematch Max and after a performance like that, he’s put himself right up there.

“He’s only fought at 155 once,” McGregor added. “He fought against Dustin and he was out-powered but he could certainly do it, and against other lightweights you never know but me and him, the rematch would be 155 for sure.”

Holloway is looking to secure a trilogy bout with Alexander Volkanovski, but the Hawaiian may prove to be more motivated to avenge his loss to McGregor.

UFC 257: Poirier vs. McGregor II takes place Saturday, Jan. 23 at the Etihad Arena (Fight Island) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.