Max Holloway vs Conor McGregor 2: What both fighters have said about their potential rematch

Max Holloway and Conor McGregor faced each other on UFC's first show on Fox Sports 1 back in 2013.

The Notorious One made headlines with his knockout of Marcus Brimage in his first UFC debut and immediately showed signs of stardom. Holloway, meanwhile, was coming off a tight split decision loss to Dennis Bermudez but had a three-fight win streak prior to that.

Entering as the favorite against his more experienced opponent, Conor McGregor put on a striking display in the first round. McGregor surprisingly took the game to ground in the second and third rounds and picked up a unanimous decision win while showing off his dominant grappling skills.

What Max Holloway and Conor McGregor think of the potential rematch

Max Holloway put on a masterclass in his last UFC outing against Calvin Kattar and expressed his desire to fight Conor McGregor again. Also interested in the rubber match, McGregor told The Mac Life in an interview prior to UFC 257:

“I thought it was a solid performance. He fought an up-and-comer; he done well. I was actually doing an interview and he skateboarded by the window. I was like, ‘Is that Max Holloway?’ He’s obviously hanging around, and fair play to him. He’s definitely in the pipeline for a bout against me. I would happily rematch Max, and after a performance like that, he’s put himself right up there.”

While they had previously faced each other at featherweight, McGregor was insistent on the rematch taking place at lightweight.

However, the possibility of a rematch seems to have weakened after McGregor's lackluster performance against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.

But Max Holloway is still interested in fighting Conor McGregor. In an episode of Food Truck Diaries, Max Holloway told Brendan Schaub:

“I’m not here to kick a man while he’s down, but I think that fight with me and Conor is on a very short list with the UFC. If he was to win the fight (with Poirier) I think it would have been a little bit different, a little bit greater,” Holloway said.

Holloway hinted he is ready to fight McGregor when the Irishman is back to his best.

“I think that fight would have happened, but we’ve got nothing but time. He’s not going nowhere, I’m not going nowhere. Build the man back up, I’m going to keep doing my thing, let him do his thing… The UFC, we had talks here and there about it. It’s on a very short list for the UFC and I’m just excited for it.”