UFC 329 is just five days away, and with it, the return of Conor McGregor to the cage. And UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski thinks it could be a tough return for “Notorious.”
On Saturday, McGregor rematches Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas. It’s McGregor’s first fight in five years — since shattering his leg against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight — and questions abound about how the biggest star in MMA might look coming back amid these circumstances. McGregor,
of course, is selling that he’s better than ever, but Father Time catches up with everyone, and Volkanovski believes that’s true for McGregor this weekend.
“Can he be that sharp? Can he be that good with his timing?” Volkanovski asked on his YouTube channel. “I don’t believe he’ll ever be that good again. But can he still have great timing, still be sharp, still have a good eye? 100 percent. I still think he’s going to be able to hit Max. Max has got a great chin. I think he’s going to have to rely on his chin a little bit.
“Max is much better now of being a little bit more defensive and not just trying to volume punch. He’s going to know not to do that with someone like Conor, as well, because he could get caught big if he was to try and be the fighter that he was earlier in his career.”
But, of course, McGregor isn’t the only fighter who may not be in his prime anymore. While Holloway is only 34 years old, he’s been fighting professionally for 16 years, and has also looked like the mileage is starting to catch up with him. And Volkanovski, who has sent 75 minutes fighting Holloway, believes Max also has to accept that he’s not the same fighter he once was if he’s going to win on Saturday.
“Can he zap the life out of Conor pretty quickly? 100 percent,” Volkanovski said. “Can he rely on that volume striking to do so like he used to? No. I think that could lose him the fight.
“The fighter that Max is today, I think he’s going to be safe enough to not get hit too much. I think he still gets hit, but luckily he’s still durable and still got a good chin, where he’s going to survive some of those big shots and then just start to have his way even later in the first round. And then you’re going to probably see him start to do his thing.
“People think Max is just going to walk through him from the start. It ain’t gonna be that easy. He’s going to have big problems early, and I think Max is going to have to give him that respect, and not let him land them big shots. So, maybe be we don’t see him be as successful as he could be if Max was just like, ‘He’s done,’ and wanted to be quite aggressive. [Conor] could definitely give Max some problems.”
But Volkanovski doesn’t think Holloway will make that mistake, though. And in fact, he believes that Holloway is in line to add another finish to his already Hall-of-Fame worthy résumé.
“Max is going to be clever enough where we won’t really see that,” Volkanovski said. “But I still think that Conor will be dangerous enough where we’re going to be like, ‘Oh shit!’ Max needs to be careful. But I think he’s going to do the right things to make them adjustments, stay out of the big, big danger, maybe when he gets hit, maybe not running into them big shots as much, which he could survive those big shots from Conor, and then he’s just going to eventually have his way.
“I’m gonna have to go Max Holloway for the win. Could it be a finish? 100 percent. If Max gets you tired, he’s so good at going for the kill. … I think it’s just going to be too much for Conor, and you’re going to see Max get his hand raised, maybe get a finish.”
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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-9) vs. Sam Patterson (14-3-1); UFC Abu Dhabi, July 25
Mateusz Gamrot (26-4) vs. Quillan Salkilld (12-1); UFC Vegas 120, Aug. 8
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Jordan Burroughs vs. Sean Brady (wrestling); RAF 12, Aug. 22
Umar Nurmagomedov (20-1) vs. Song Yadong (23-9-1, 1 NC); UFC Shanghai, Aug. 29
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FINAL THOUGHTS
Hope everyone had a fine Fourth of July weekend (or Canada Day celebrations, I see you). There’s little rest of the MMA wicked however, as we gear up for UFC 329 Fight Week and—believe it or not—the return of Conor McGregor.
Also, good luck to my fellow MMA Fighting Fantasy GMs.
— Lee
EXIT POLL
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