Michael Chiesa believes Max Holloway’s rematch with Conor McGregor at UFC 329 could have major lightweight title implications if Holloway gets his hand raised.
Holloway and McGregor are set to run it back in a welterweight headliner on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with McGregor returning from a five-year layoff and a serious leg injury. Holloway enters the bout after knocking out current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in the last second of their UFC 300 main event.
"There is a world where Max Holloway beats Conor McGregor and fightsJustin Gaethjenext," Chiesa said, outlining how a Holloway win could impact the chase for Gaethje. He added, "If Max beats Conor, that leaves Max and Charles (Oliveira) and Arman (Tsarukyan) in this three-man race to see who fights Justin next. I think Justin, if he had a choice, Charles would be at the bottom of that list. I think he would want the Max Holloway fight back."
Chiesa also pointed to the unique spotlight around McGregor’s return. "There could be a heaping load of pressure on his shoulders because of Conor's comeback, and no one is really talking about Max," he said. "It's crazy to think about. Max Holloway is a superstar – 99 percent of the time, he's the A-side of a fight, just on his name alone. It's crazy there's so much talk on Conor."
