Jose
Aldo, a former foe of Conor
McGregor and Max
Holloway, has weighed in on the
UFC 329 headliner.
McGregor returns to action in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship five years after his in-cage leg
break at
UFC 264 back in 2021. The 37-year-old is looking to return to
winning ways and record a second victory over Holloway 13 years
after their first bout. Aldo, who has shared the Octagon with both
fan-favorites, recently previewed the matchup.
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Jose Aldo explains his UFC 329 prediction for Conor McGregor
vs. Max Holloway
Aldo, who fought McGregor back in 2015, believes the Irishman is a
live underdog against Holloway.
“For me, it’s a very competitive fight,” the Brazilian legend told
Covers.com. “McGregor may be the betting underdog, but honestly, I
think he has a better chance of beating Max today than he had of
beating Khabib back then.”
Aldo highlighted Holloway’s activity and how that’ll play a key
role in the fight, which is why he gives the edge to the
Hawaiian.
“The favorite is Max Holloway, not because he’s vastly superior,
but because he’s still active,” the UFC Hall of Famer said. “He’s
fighting regularly, coming off strong performances and staying in
competition mode. Conor is an unknown [entity]. We haven’t seen him
fight in a very long time. We don’t know where his conditioning,
timing or confidence is at. That’s why I put Max one step
ahead.”
Aldo has far more cage time with Holloway than McGregor. He was
knocked out by “The Notorious” just 13 seconds into their title
fight, while “Blessed” secured back-to-back third-round finishes
against him back in 2017.
Despite siding with the former BMF champion, Aldo is wary of
McGregor’s power.
“That doesn’t mean Conor can’t go in there and knock [Max] out…
That can absolutely happen,” he added.