Conor McGregor will return from a five-year layoff during International Fight Week, headlining UFC 329 against former featherweight champion Max Holloway in a rematch of their August 2013 bout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The co-main event pairs rising lightweight Paddy Pimblett with Benoît Saint Denis.
Coach Din Thomas picked Holloway to win by a fourth-round TKO, saying Holloway’s move up in weight gives him “more weight behind his volume striking” and that sustained pressure will eventually stop McGregor. Thomas added McGregor must land an early, fight-changing shot and rely on his timing and ability to disrupt opponents’ rhythm.
Many fighters on the card agreed that the longer the bout goes, the better Holloway’s chances. “If Conor is gonna win, it’s going to have to be in the first two rounds,” Paddy Pimblett said. Benoît Saint Denis called the meeting “a huge interrogation of Conor,” noting McGregor’s long absence. Cory Sandhagen also favored Holloway, saying conditioning and McGregor’s inactivity will be decisive.
Others echoed that view. Mario Bautista said the longer the fight lasts, the more it plays into Holloway’s hands, while Terrance McKinney predicted that if McGregor does not finish Holloway early “Max gets a clear decision or TKO in the fourth round.” Lone’er Kavanagh said personal allegiances make a pick difficult, and King Green described himself as “really 50/50,” citing McGregor’s timing but noting Holloway’s ongoing activity.
Several fighters pointed to common variables: McGregor’s time away from competition, recovery from a leg break and Holloway’s track record of volume striking and five-round battles. Those factors, according to fighters interviewed for UFC 329, largely inform the consensus that Holloway holds the advantage if the fight extends beyond the opening rounds.
