Chris Weidman has weighed in on the betting lines for Conor McGregor’s return fight against Max Holloway, and the former middleweight champion believes the odds should be even wider.
McGregor is set to face Holloway in a five-round welterweight bout at UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and is described as a big underdog against the former UFC and BMF champion.
Looking at the current numbers, Weidman admitted he expected an even bigger gap. “What are the odds on that fight? 3-1? I'm thinking like 6-1,” he said while breaking down the matchup.
Weidman pointed to Holloway’s recent activity and style, as well as McGregor’s long layoff since breaking his leg in July 2021, comparing it to his own experience coming back from a similar injury. “Max is so active. Obviously he lost to (Charles) Oliveira in his last fight, but before that, he's been looking great. And he's not going to have to worry about the wrestling and jiu-jitsu obviously of Conor McGregor, and Max just gets better as the fight goes on. Conor slows down to begin with, and now this is five years off. It's just a big uphill battle.”
Despite that, Weidman still sees a path for McGregor. “The only chance Conor really has is to knock out Max, probably in the first or second round,” he said, later adding, “I would say if anybody could do it, come back from a crazy layoff, come back from a traumatic leg break, all the ups and downs outside the UFC with, like, getting in trouble, lawsuits and stuff, it's him.”
