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#4: Finding a fight for Max Holloway might be tricky right now
Even if the UFC wants to avoid a fight between Max Holloway and Conor McGregor right now, the fact is that a move up to 155lbs might lie in the future for ‘Blessed’ either way.
It isn’t that the Hawaiian has problems making the 145lbs featherweight limit. In fact, he’s never missed weight in his 25-fight UFC career. It's more that he’s simply short on potential opponents right now.
Max Holloway is clearly one of the best featherweights on the planet, and his recent wins over Calvin Kattar and Yair Rodriguez only re-affirmed that idea..
However, because he has two losses to current UFC featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski, it’d be tricky to market a third fight between the two. Although, UFC President Dana White has suggested he’s going to try.
Instead, a move up to 155lbs might make far more sense. Holloway has faced and beaten most of the world’s top 145lbers already. However, at 155lbs, there are tons of fresh fights for him.
It isn’t like he wouldn’t be able to hang with the best in the division, too – he already pushed top contender Dustin Poirier to his limits when they fought in 2019.
Naturally, it’d be a good idea to introduce the Hawaiian into the lightweight division with a big fight. There's also no bigger fight in the UFC right now than a clash with Conor McGregor.
So with a lack of opponents for Max Holloway at 145lbs, why not run it back fight between him and McGregor? Given the existing rivalry between the two, it’s practically the only fight that makes sense.
#3: A win would do wonders for either man
The best fights in the UFC tend to be ones where both fighters are absolutely desperate for a win. Title fights, fights to decide a title contender, or the dreaded “loser-leaves-town” fights would be the best examples of this.
Naturally, there’s absolutely no chance that either Max Holloway or Conor McGregor will be leaving the UFC any time soon. However, if the promotion did put a fight together between ‘Blessed’ and the Irishman, there’s no disputing that a win would do wonders for either of them.
For Conor McGregor, a win over Max Holloway would put him firmly back on track. Right now, ‘The Notorious’ is at the lowest point of his UFC career. As he’s coming off two straight losses to Dustin Poirier and has only won one fight since 2016.
However, if he were to beat ‘Blessed’, then he’d not only pick up a victory over a former UFC champion and a very highly rated fighter. The win would also put him firmly back in title contention.
Holloway, meanwhile, would be absolutely gunning to beat McGregor in a potential fight, and not only to avenge his 2013 loss to the Irishman.
Essentially, ‘Blessed’ is one of the UFC’s best fighters right now. Even so, he hasn’t yet tipped over the edge to the point where he’s a mainstream star and a big-time pay-per-view draw.
However, the same could’ve been said for Dustin Poirier prior to his two wins over McGregor, and now he’s probably one of the five biggest stars in the promotion.
With both Conor McGregor and Max Holloway having plenty to gain from a potential fight, it makes sense for the UFC to book it soon.
