Max Holloway would be the 'perfect' dance partner for Conor McGregor's comeback fight, according to UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald, who believes the stars are aligned for a rematch between the two stars.
McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion, is plotting a return to action on International Fight Week for UFC 329 on July 11. The 37-year-old Irishman has not fought since breaking his leg in the first round of his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, and has not won a fight since knocking out Donald Cerrone over six years ago.
For months, McGregor was expected to face Michael Chandler, after the pair coached opposing teams on The Ultimate Fighter. However, that fight was scrapped after McGregor pulled out due to injury, and Chandler was subsequently booked against Mauricio Ruffy on the White House showcase card.
UFC president Dana White had been coy about McGregor's return in July but recently changed his tune, stating: "It's looking good. Believe me, once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it." Holloway now appears to be the frontrunner, 13 years after their first meeting, which McGregor won by decision.
Holloway is looking to bounce back after losing the BMF title to Charles Oliveira in his last outing. Many in the MMA community are eager to see the two clash again, and Fitzgerald is among them.
"I know the Conor rumors are out there, and I think everybody is in agreement that we would love to have Conor back in the octagon as soon as possible," Fitzgerald told MMA Junkie. "What possible better place than International Fight Week at a Las Vegas numbered event to do it?"
He added: "Max just seems perfect. Charles Oliveira is not booked right now, but he really wants the title. ... Max obviously off the top of the head seems like the most fitting. There's history, weight class, and all that sort of stuff."
Fitzgerald acknowledged the difficulty in predicting how McGregor will look after such a long layoff. "It's tough to quantify. I would think Max is a pretty sizeable favourite just since he's been active, and it's not a guy like Charles Oliveira on the other side that's going to use grappling advantages, and it's going to be on the feet, and Max has looked largely very good over the past several years against opponents like Conor. Against Dustin, Max looked great. How motivated is Conor, and what's he doing in the shadows? You can't figure that out."
