appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Tom Taylor

Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway, considered one of the greatest fighters in the division’s history, believes he’s in position for a fight with Irish MMA superstar Conor McGregor.
Holloway (22-6) has fought McGregor (22-6) once before, suffering a decision loss to the Irishman in the featherweight division in 2013.
The Hawaiian is slated to fight Mexico‘s Yair Rodriguez inside the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas this Saturday and believes a win could set up a rematch with McGregor – most likely at lightweight, where McGregor has spent the bulk of his recent career.
“We’re always on the shortlist for Conor,” Holloway said on The MMA Hour on Monday.


“We’ll see what happens,” he continued. “At the end of the day, obviously, Conor wants Dustin [Poirier], or he wants Nate [Diaz], or whatever. But anybody at ‘55 [lightweight] or ‘45 [featherweight] after those guys, my name pops up.
“You can go call [UFC Chief Business Officer] Hunter [Campbell] right now, ask him who can sell, who’s gonna sell numbers with Conor, and they’re going to drop my name all the time. At the end of the day, I’m always on the shortlist for Conor, so we’ll see what happens.”
ONE’s Phogat hopes she can live up to McGregor’s expectations
A potential rematch with McGregor would be huge for Holloway, but that’s not the only item on the menu for the 29-year-old.
He also believes he‘s well-positioned for a fight with reigning UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who he defeated by TKO at featherweight in 2015, and even teased a move to the boxing ring.
“I got a win over the 155 [pound] champ right now,” he said. “I’m the best boxer in the UFC, so use your imagination my friends. It’s a wild world today.”

The immediate priority for Holloway, of course, is his imminent fight with Rodriguez, who is considered one of the most unpredictable and dynamic strikers in all of MMA.
“First things first, I have a fight on November 13th, and we’ll go from there,” he said.
Holloway is currently riding a jaw-dropping decision win over Calvin Kattar, which saw him shatter multiple UFC records including the single-fight records for most strikes landed and attempted. That victory separated him from a pair of razor-close decision losses to Australia‘s Alexander Volkanovski, the first of which ended his reign as UFC featherweight champion.
UFC: Chandler calls out McGregor, gets a quick response
Highlights of Holloway’s CV include victories over an impressive list of current and former champions in Frankie Edgar, Jose Aldo, Anthony Pettis, and Charles Oliveira, as well as top talents like Brian Ortega, Ricardo Lamas, Jeremy Stephens, and Cub Swanson.
McGregor, meanwhile, is riding back-to-back stoppage losses to Dustin Poirier at lightweight, the latter of which left him with a broken leg. In his previous fight, he defeated Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone by first-round TKO at welterweight.
McGregor made history in 2015 and 2016, becoming the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes concurrently, first knocking out Jose Aldo to win featherweight gold, and later knocking out Eddie Alvarez to win the strap at lightweight.


Will UFC be a hit in China with a Shanghai bout – and a home-grown contender?

Chinese MMA stars Song Yadong, Yan Xiaonan to take top billing at UFC Fight Night Shanghai

Meet Paul Tudor Jones’ daughter, Caroline Jones – who performed at Trump’s UFC Freedom 250

FBI says foiled drone and sniper plot at Trump’s White House fight night

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)

UFC: Max Holloway believes he’s ‘on the shortlist’ for rematch with Conor McGregor

Max Holloway before his fight with Jose Aldo at UFC 218. Photo: AFP

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 22: Conor McGregor of Ireland poses on the scale during the UFC 257 weigh-in at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 22, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

ONE Championship’s Ritu Phogat hopes she can live up to Conor McGregor’s expectations after UFC superstar’s backing

Ritu Phogat heads to the ONE Circle for her atomweight grand prix semi-final against Jenelyn Olsim. Photo: ONE Championship

Ritu Phogat speaks to Mitch Chilson after beating Jenelyn Olsim at ONE NextGen.

UFC: Michael Chandler calls out Conor McGregor for 2022 fight, and gets a quick response

Conor McGregor walks in the Octagon before his lightweight bought against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Photo: AFP

ONE Championship: Ritu Phogat responds to Conor McGregor shoutout, says ‘please come to India’

Ritu Phogat celebrates her ONE atomweight grand prix semi-final victory over Jenelyn Olsim. Photos: ONE Championship

Stamp Fairtex stares down Ritu Phogat.

UFC 266: Alex Volkanovski says Conor McGregor ‘sounds like he’s drunk’ with tweet – ‘good on him, so am I’

Alexander Volkanovski celebrates with a ‘shooey’ during his post-fight press conference after his win against Brian Ortega at UFC 266. Photos: AFP

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 25: Alexander Volkanovski of Australia speaks during his post fight press conference after his win against Brian Ortega in their Featherweight title fight during UFC 266 at T-Mobile Arena on September 25, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

LAS VEGAS, NV - SEPTEMBER 25: Alexander Volkanovski of Australia celebrates during his post fight press conference after his win against Brian Ortega in their Featherweight title fight during UFC 266 at T-Mobile Arena on September 25, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Alex Bierens de Haan/Getty Images/AFP == FOR NEWSPAPERS, INTERNET, TELCOS & TELEVISION USE ONLY ==

Sport

Martial Arts

Mixed Martial Arts


McGregor defeated Holloway by decision in a 2013 featherweight fight – ‘We will see what happens,’ he says
Holloway, who fights Yair Rodriguez in Las Vegas this Saturday, believes rematch with “Notorious” is possible



Former UFC featherweight champ Max Holloway forecasts a future lightweight rematch with Conor McGregor, who he lost to in 2013


Conor McGregor

Max Holloway