Former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes that Conor McGregor’s motivation alone won’t be sufficient to defeat Max Holloway in their anticipated rematch on July 11th.
McGregor, who has been sidelined for almost five years following a severe leg injury sustained in his 2021 trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, is scheduled to make his octagon return at UFC 329. This will be a welterweight contest and McGregor’s first fight at 170 pounds since his initial bouts in the division.
Despite McGregor’s intense training regimen leading up to the rematch, concerns persist among fans regarding his prolonged absence from competition and the potential for ring rust. These concerns are shared by Daniel Cormier.
Cormier anticipates seeing a highly focused and driven Conor McGregor at UFC 329. However, he emphasizes that sheer motivation does not guarantee victory. McGregor has been inactive for nearly half a decade, while Max Holloway has continuously improved and faced and overcome formidable opponents on the UFC roster.
During a conversation with Josh Thomson, Cormier stated:
“My thinking is we will see a Conor McGregor who is as focused and committed as he has ever been. I am unsure if, considering the injuries, the time away, the weight fluctuations, and now the weight loss, if that Conor McGregor, even with his renewed motivation, will be enough to defeat a Max Holloway. This is not a prediction, I’m merely stating my thoughts. Furthermore, you do not improve at something by not doing it; that’s simply the reality. You can train as hard as you want, but ultimately, it has been about five years since he last competed in an octagon.”
In a separate discussion, Dustin Poirier expressed his belief that Conor McGregor possesses innate “power” and could potentially knock out Max Holloway if he returns with adequate timing.
Poirier suggests that even after a five-year hiatus, McGregor’s punching power will likely remain intact. Therefore, he believes McGregor has a genuine opportunity to stop Holloway. Holloway has been knocked down in recent fights, and questions have arisen about the resilience of his chin after a career filled with striking exchanges.
On the WEIGHING IN podcast, Poirier commented:
“I believe the punching power will be there regardless. I think Conor will recover from the injury and still possess that natural punching power. My concern for me is the timing, the athleticism, and the movement. All these aspects need to be addressed. If his counter-striking and timing are anywhere near what they used to be, he has a chance to beat Max. Conor can punch, man. Regardless of how long he’s been out, he still has a great equalizer, and that’s power. Some fighters are born with it.”
English Translation:
Former UFC double champion Daniel Cormier believes that motivation alone will not be enough for Conor McGregor to defeat Max Holloway on July 11th.
The Irishman, who has been out of action for nearly 5 years following a severe leg injury during his 2021 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, is slated to return to the octagon in July at UFC 329 for a rematch with Holloway. The McGregor vs. Holloway 2 fight will be a welterweight clash and also the former BMF champion’s first contest at 170 pounds.
Despite McGregor’s all-out training efforts and dedication in the gym leading up to the rematch, fans remain concerned about his lengthy inactivity and the ring rust that accompanies it. Even “DC” shares similar concerns.
Daniel Cormier believes that a fully committed and motivated Conor McGregor will undoubtedly be seen at UFC 329. However, he emphasizes that motivation alone does not win fights. “The Notorious” has been inactive for nearly half a decade, while Max Holloway has continued to evolve and has faced and defeated some of the toughest fighters on the roster.
During a sitdown with Josh Thomson, Cormier stated:
“My thought is we see a Conor McGregor that’s as focused and committed as he has ever been. I don’t know if with the injuries and the time away and the weight gains and now the weight loss and all these things, if that Conor McGregor, even if he is more motivated than ever, is enough to beat a Max Holloway. Now that’s no prediction, I’m just saying. But also you don’t get better at something by not doing it. That’s just the case. You can train as hard as you want, but at the end of the day it’s still been about five years since he was last in an octagon.”
Dustin Poirier believes that even though Conor McGregor has not fought in the last five years, he will still possess the same punching power when he enters the octagon for his rematch with “Blessed.” Therefore, “The Diamond” believes the Dubliner has a very real chance of stopping Max Holloway.
Holloway has been dropped in his recent outings, and after a long career filled with slugfests, questions linger about whether his chin has begun to decline. On the WEIGHING IN podcast, Poirier said:
“I think the punching power is gonna be there regardless. I think Conor’s gonna come back from the injury and still have that natural punching power. The question for me is the timing, the athleticism, the movement. All those questions need to be answered. If his counter punching and his timing are anywhere near what it was, he has a chance to beat Max. Conor can punch, man. No matter how long he has been out, he still has a great equalizer, and that’s power. Some guys are born with it.”
