LAS VEGAS – Conor McGregor will officially return to the welterweight division when he steps back into the octagon at UFC 329 on Saturday, but the Irish superstar insists that the result of his bout will bolster his legacy as the greatest featherweight of all time. In his first fight since July 2021, McGregor (22-6) faces former featherweight champion Max Holloway (27-9) in a non-title main event. McGregor rose to prominence between 2013 and 2015 as a featherweight, culminating in a 13-second knockout of then-champion José Aldo to claim the UFC featherweight belt. He has not competed at 145 pounds since that night, yet he maintains that his résumé and skill level place him above every other 145-pounder in history, including long-reigning champions like Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and Aldo himself.
“There are many things I brought into this training camp that fueled my fire,” McGregor told reporters. “First, being called the greatest featherweight of all time. When you look at the rankings of all-time featherweights, I beat these men, yet I am not on the list. How is it that I beat them up—handily, without difficulty—and I am excluded?”
Holloway is widely regarded as one of the best featherweights ever. He defeated Aldo twice in 2017 and successfully defended the UFC featherweight title four times. McGregor says his performance against Holloway will serve as a testament to his historical greatness in the weight class, even though the fight is taking place at 170 pounds. “That’s why I love fighting Max,” McGregor added. “He has faced so many opponents. His octagon résumé is very impressive. He’s a future Hall of Famer. Today I have the opportunity to show what I am capable of.”
McGregor, 37, previously defeated Holloway by unanimous decision in a three-round bout in 2013. That fight occurred early in both men’s careers—it was only McGregor’s second UFC appearance, and Holloway was just 21 years old. Despite that loss, Holloway went on to establish himself as one of the all-time greats at 145 pounds, alongside Alexander Volkanovski and José Aldo. McGregor, however, believes that his technical prowess and peak performances clearly elevate him above that group, even if he never defended the featherweight title. “That is a fair criticism,” McGregor acknowledged regarding his lack of title defenses. “I understand the situation, but you cannot be fixated on that. What is talent? Who is the greatest? Who is the best? It is me. And I will have the results to prove it. I am the greatest featherweight since Bruce Lee, and on Saturday I will demonstrate that.”
McGregor’s claim echoes his long-standing persona of self-confidence and showmanship. He first rose to fame in the featherweight division with a string of spectacular knockouts, including a memorable 13-second finish of Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in December 2015. That victory made him the undisputed champion and capped a meteoric rise from obscure Dublin prospects to global superstardom. However, after winning the belt, McGregor immediately moved up to lightweight, eventually capturing the 155-pound title by knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. Since then, he has fought mostly at welterweight and lightweight, with only one win in his last four fights dating back to 2016.
The decision to face Holloway at welterweight has drawn some criticism from analysts and fans who argue that McGregor is avoiding the weight cut to 145 pounds. Holloway himself has held the featherweight title and is comfortable moving up, but he pointed out that McGregor has not fought at 145 since 2015. “I’ve been answering questions about this for years,” Holloway said earlier this week. “Conor is a great fighter, but the featherweight division moved on without him. If he wants to be called the greatest, he should have defended the belt. I did it four times. Volkanovski did it five times. Aldo defended his WEC and UFC belts. It is hard to compare.”
The debate over the greatest featherweight of all time has intensified in recent years, particularly after Volkanovski’s dominant reign and Holloway’s resurgence. Bruce Lee, though not a mixed martial artist in the modern sense, is often invoked as a symbol of martial arts excellence and adaptability, which adds a layer of cultural weight to McGregor’s boast. McGregor has previously compared himself to Muhammad Ali and other iconic figures, but invoking Bruce Lee is a new twist that suggests he sees himself as a transcendent figure whose skills transcend weight classes and eras.
McGregor’s training camp for this fight has been notably intense. He has been working with a new strength and conditioning coach and has focused on improving his cardio, which has been a weakness in his recent fights. He also hired a sports psychologist to sharpen his mental game. “I am coming in as the best version of myself,” he stated. “Max is a tough opponent, but he has never faced a Conor McGregor like this. I have more tools, more experience, and more hunger. The featherweight talk is just extra motivation. I am here to remind everyone who the real king is.”
Holloway, for his part, is confident he can win. He is on a two-fight winning streak, having defeated Arnold Allen and Chan Sung Jung, and has looked sharp in training. He believes that McGregor’s inactivity and lack of recent success at welterweight will work against him. “I am going to go in there and do what I always do: pressure, volume, and finish,” Holloway said. “Conor talks a lot, but we saw what happened in his last few fights. He is not the same guy he was in 2015. I respect him, but this is my time.”
UFC 329 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card also features a lightweight bout between Rafael Fiziev and Benoît Saint-Denis, a middleweight fight between Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov, and a women’s strawweight matchup between Xiaonan Yan and Marina Rodriguez. The event is expected to draw a massive audience, particularly due to the McGregor-Holloway rematch, which has been nearly a decade in the making.
McGregor’s claim to being the greatest featherweight since Bruce Lee is certainly bold, but it reflects his unwavering belief in his own abilities. Whether he can back it up on Saturday night remains to be seen. If he wins, he will add another significant name to his record. If he loses, the debate will likely be put to rest. But for now, the Irishman is content to let his words and fists do the talking. “I am the greatest, and that will never change,” he said with a smile. “Saturday is just another example.”
Source:RDS News