Overlooking Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev, UFC legend pits Max Holloway against Conor McGregor for 'Blessed's' next fight

Former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway's stellar performance in the BMF title fight at UFC 300 has prompted discussions about his next matchup.

Holloway dominated Justin Gaethje for large portions of their fight before knocking him out with a second to spare in the final round. UFC legends Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen discussed Holloway's potential next fight on their Good Guy / Bad Guy ESPN show.

Sonnen suggested a rematch against the returning Conor McGregor, who is set to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303:

"And I want to tell you something else when you talk about 170 pounds, the match doesn’t have to stay here. And one thing that Max Holloway has long asked for is the rematch with Conor. I don’t want Max going against [Ilia] Topuria, I’m on my own here. I don’t want him going against Islam [Makhachev]."

Sonnen also went on to state that the BMF championship is a legitimate title according to him and not just a symbolic strap. He called for Holloway to make his first title defense against 'The Notorious':

"I believe the BMF is a title. I respect the BMF almost as much as any title that’s ever existed. I want Max staying put, I want him to defend that belt. And I believe if Conor was to have a good night with Chandler and Max was to put up the strap, he could get his rematch."

Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Max Holloway's next fight below (10:50):

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Conor McGregor responds to Max Holloway's comments hinting toward a matchup

Max Holloway himself is not averse to Chael Sonnen's suggestion.

In his post-fight press conference, Holloway presented Conor McGregor as an option for a potential BMF title defense:

"Brother, we got options, brother. Conor likes to consider himself a BMF, right? So, we can figure that out."

Holloway also mentioned a potential rematch against Dustin Poirier as an option.

Check out Max Holloway's full comments below:

McGregor responded on X (formerly known as Twitter) with a brief congratulatory message. He did not lend his voice to Holloway's subtle callout.

McGregor is set to take on Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in his much-awaited return to action. The event will see him fight for the first time since 2021. He will look to bounce back from two straight losses against Poirier.