Max Holloway fires back at 'delusional' Conor McGregor after UFC 329
Max Holloway responded to Conor McGregor on his YouTube channel after UFC 329, calling the Irish star "delusional" for blaming dry ice and promising a postponed "generational beating." Holloway said McGregor "felt slow" and "looked old" before blowing out his ACL on his first kick at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, ending the fight in just over a minute.
Max Holloway's clapback matters because it frames a fight that disappointed nearly 16 million viewers across the U.S. and Latin America, while McGregor pushes for a no-contest and a trilogy bout next year. For fans following the fallout in our Streaming & TV Alerts hub, the exchange keeps one of MMA's biggest rivalries alive despite an anticlimactic ending.
Key Takeaways
- Holloway dismissed McGregor's dry-ice theory and "generational beating" talk as "delusional" on YouTube.
- McGregor injured his knee on his first kick at UFC 329; Holloway won by TKO after just over a minute.
- McGregor is sidelined for roughly a year but is already targeting a trilogy fight next summer.
- Holloway is open to a McGregor rematch, plus lightweight or welterweight title shots involving Islam Makhachev or Justin Gaethje.
- Holloway said he feels bad for fans who paid for a card that drew nearly 16 million viewers in the U.S. and Latin America.
What did Max Holloway say about Conor McGregor after UFC 329?
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Holloway pushed back hard at McGregor's post-fight narrative. McGregor had advocated for a no-contest ruling and claimed his "generational beating" of Holloway was only postponed to next year after injuring his knee.
Holloway laughed off the dry-ice excuse tied to their elaborate entrances. "It's just crazy for the dude to be talking about how it was slippery because of the dry ice," he said, according to CBS Sports. "I don't know what he's talking about because I didn't fall."
On McGregor's fighting form, Holloway was blunt: "The dude is delusional. To me, he felt slow in there. He felt slow; he looked old. If there was going to be a generational beating, it wasn't going to be on his end." He added that he had McGregor "weak in the knees from the beginning."
Why did the Holloway-McGregor rematch end so quickly?
Holloway and McGregor headlined International Fight Week at UFC 329, a rematch of their 2013 featherweight bout that McGregor won by decision after injuring his knee. History repeated itself when McGregor blew out his ACL with the first kick he threw.
The fight was waved off a little more than a minute later, giving Holloway a quick TKO victory. CBS Sports reported the card drew nearly 16 million viewers across the U.S. and Latin America, making the abrupt ending especially frustrating for fans who spent money on tickets and pay-per-view.
Holloway acknowledged that disappointment throughout his video. "I feel bad for the fans," he said. "It was a big event; a lot of people spent a lot of money." He also said the UFC owes him the "Conor McGregor belt, the money belt" from their buildup.
What could be next for Max Holloway after UFC 329?
With McGregor out for nearly a year, Holloway mapped out several paths forward. He is game for a trilogy fight whenever McGregor returns, telling the UFC he will "sign the dotted line" if that matchup materializes.
Beyond McGregor, Holloway floated title shots in two divisions. He moved up to welterweight at UFC 329 and has history with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. He also referenced a recent back-and-forth with welterweight titleholder Islam Makhachev after Makhachev's win over Ian Machado Garry.
"If it's a title shot in either weight class, sign ya boy up," Holloway said. "If it's the Conor McGregor fight again, I'll sign on the dotted line." For now, he is spending time with family and waiting on the UFC to set his next date.