Max Holloway is unfazed about moving to welterweight for his high-profile rematch with Conor McGregor, which headlines UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The bout is set for 170 pounds, marking Holloway’s first appearance at welterweight, while McGregor has competed at that weight twice before. Their first meeting came at 145 pounds in 2013, when McGregor defeated Holloway.
"My thoughts on the fight being at 170 was like, who cares?" Holloway said while discussing the matchup. "Weight is just a number. Real gladiators back in the day, they didn't walk around with a scale. You show up and you fight, and I'm a fighter. That's what I do – open weight class, whatever weight class. I'm glad I get to share the octagon with him."
Holloway dismissed the idea that their first fight offers much insight more than a decade later. "That old fight with him, 13 years ago we fought – 13 years," Holloway said. "And this question is asked a lot: 'Do you watch it? Can you take anything away from it?' And the answer is, no. It's 13 years. We were two young, scrawny guys trying to make a name for ourselves, and now we're here."
Looking ahead to UFC 329, Holloway added, "He did what he did. He changed the sport in a major way. Glad to have him back, but unfortunately he's got to see me, and five years is a long time (to be out). But I'm getting ready for the best Conor McGregor there is. I know he's taking it serious. He looks like he's taking it very serious, and I'm excited for the challenge."
