Former UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis is firmly backing Conor McGregor ahead of his welterweight rematch with Max Holloway in the UFC 329 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Du Plessis, who says he is a big fan of McGregor and once doubted the Irish star would fight again, made it clear he won’t side against him despite acknowledging the challenge Holloway presents.
“Conor started coming up when I was just starting out my pro career; his UFC run started,” Du Plessis said, explaining why McGregor became a key figure for him early on.
“So, he was a guy that I genuinely looked up to as I progressed in the sport. Max Holloway, he's also definitely a Hall of Famer, never has a boring fight, absolutely incredible. He had a tough run with Charles Oliveira in his last fight, but him and Conor is not going to look like that.”
Du Plessis also pointed to McGregor’s layoff and conditioning as potential concerns, mentioning McGregor’s time away due to injury and his cardio, but ultimately stayed loyal in his pick.
“I'm going with the Mac,” Du Plessis stated. “I'm never going against him. I'm never going against Conor. Yeah, Max Holloway, massive fan, love him. He's a great fighter, and he's deserving of everything that he's gotten and all the praise, but I can't go against Conor. Conor has that scary timing.”
