Count Conor
McGregor among those who were impressed by Max
Holloway’s record-breaking offensive performance against
Calvin
Kattar at
UFC on ABC 1 last weekend.
McGregor and Holloway initially squared off early in their
respective promotional tenures at UFC Fight Night 26, with the
Irish star winning a unanimous decision at featherweight in August
2013 despite tearing his ACL in the fight. McGregor recently said
he might be interested in a rematch with Holloway in the
future.
“I thought it was a solid performance,” McGregor told The Mac Life. “He
fought an up-and-comer; he done well … He’s obviously hanging
around, and fair play to him. He’s definitely in the pipeline for a
bout against me. I would happily rematch Max, and after a
performance like that, he’s put himself right up there.”
McGregor is set for another rematch on Saturday, when he meets
Dustin
Poirier in the lightweight main event at
UFC 257. Like Holloway, Poirier fell to the “Notorious” in a
featherweight bout early in his UFC tenure. If Holloway is to get a
return date against McGregor it would have to be at 155 pounds.
Holloway has competed at lightweight just once, losing a unanimous
decision to Poirier in an interim title bout at UFC 236.
“He’s a tall lad,” McGregor said. “He’s taller than me, so he could
build up. He’s only fought at 155 once. It was against Dustin. He
was a bit out-powered, but he could certainly do it. Against other
lightweights? You never know. But the rematch would be 155, for
sure.”
At one point during his victory over Kattar, Holloway yelled out
that he was the “best boxer in the UFC.” McGregor, who once squared
off with Floyed Mayweather in a boxing bout, took exception to that
notion.
“He’s not the best boxer,” McGregor said. “It’s no question, and
I’ll prove that on [Saturday]. Let’s see what he says Sunday
morning.”