Israel Adesanya has offered his take on Conor McGregor’s high-profile rematch with Max Holloway, which headlines UFC 329 in a welterweight bout on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor is set to return from a five-year layoff due to injury for his first fight since facing Dustin Poirier in 2021, meeting Holloway more than a decade after their first clash in 2013, when McGregor won a unanimous decision and leaned on his wrestling after suffering a knee injury.
Looking ahead to the rematch, Adesanya pointed to conditioning and style as key factors, saying, "Conor might get tired, he goes heavy from Round 1, 2, but I don't think Max is going to get tired," and added, "If Conor grapples, it might be the difference in this fight. But again, Max has just been in the trenches. He's just been getting active, and Conor hasn't fought since the Dustin(Poirier) fight (in 2021). He doesn't believe in cage rust – I know that. But, reality is reality, and Max is reality."
Adesanya also questioned McGregor’s choice of opponent for his comeback, noting, "So dealing with that for your first fight back, I reckon he should have done the (Michael) Chandler fight. They have the story there. Chandler f*cking sat how many years of his career waiting for this fight? Regardless, it was too long, and I think Conor should have fought Michael Chandler in his fight back because it would have been – to come back and fight Max, a volume puncher, a guy who is just going to be in your face with legs, hands, that's not an easy fight to come back to. But look, if anyone rises to the occasion, it's 'The Notorious' one, Conor."
