TLDR
- Conor McGregor returns to the UFC after five years to face Max Holloway at UFC 329 on Saturday
- Former champion Belal Muhammad says McGregor’s only chance is a first-round knockout
- McGregor hasn’t won a fight since 2020 and faces enormous pressure to perform
- Max Holloway is making his welterweight debut after losing to Charles Oliveira
- UFC commentator Jon Anik revealed Holloway once planned to fight at middleweight
Sources: bjpenn.com | bjpenn.com | bjpenn.com
Conor McGregor needs to finish Max Holloway in the first round if he wants to win at UFC 329 on Saturday, according to former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad. The fight caps off International Fight Week in Las Vegas and marks McGregor’s first bout since 2021.
McGregor has been absent from the Octagon for five years following a broken leg against Dustin Poirier. He was scheduled to return in 2024 against Michael Chandler, but an injury forced that fight to be cancelled.
In a YouTube video analysis, Muhammad questioned which version of McGregor will appear after such a long layoff. “Let’s see what McGregor shows up. It’s been five years,” Muhammad said.
Muhammad advised that Holloway should take time to read McGregor in the first round before increasing his pace. “Once it gets to the later rounds, pick up the volume, turn it up,” he explained.
Muhammad Outlines McGregor’s Best Path to Victory
For McGregor, Muhammad believes the strategy is simple. “For McGregor, I think we gotta go all in,” Muhammad said. “This first round, those first five minutes, try to knock him out.”
Muhammad pointed to recent evidence that Holloway can be knocked out. “We’ve seen it’s possible now, right? Topuria knocked him out,” he said. “Before that, we thought Holloway had the best chin in the world, can’t get knocked out; now we see it’s possible.”
Conor McGregor is ready for UFC 329.
According to his coaches, he is in the best shape of his life, and the overall atmosphere in the camp is at a very high level.
What’s interesting is that there have been reports coming out of the camp that McGregor has been working heavily… pic.twitter.com/ZjobkPG1IG
— Fight Basics (@fightbasicz) July 6, 2026
Former UFC veteran Matt Brown agrees that McGregor faces enormous pressure. “This is a very, very big fight for him personally,” Brown said on MMAFighting’s “The Fighter vs. The Writer.”
Brown believes McGregor might be more motivated than ever because of what’s at stake. “He’s got to win this fight. He’s got to prove motherf*ckers wrong,” Brown explained. “This is a terrible look if he doesn’t win this fight.”
Holloway Makes Welterweight Debut After Loss to Oliveira
Saturday’s bout will be Holloway’s first fight at welterweight. UFC commentator Jon Anik revealed on “Submission Radio” that Holloway told him years ago about bigger plans.
“Max Holloway said to me probably 8 or 9 years ago that he was going to take a UFC fight at middleweight before all was said and done,” Anik said. He added that he’s “fascinated to see how his frame looks on the scale.”
Anik doesn’t believe the weight jump will slow Holloway down. “Max’s a big boy. Big, powerful hands, and I think his movement and his speed and his footwork will all still be there,” he said.
McGregor last won inside the Octagon in early 2020 when he knocked out Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds. He has lost his last two fights, both against Poirier at lightweight.
Tracy Cortez Speaks Out on Dating Drama Before UFC 329 Fight
Holloway is coming off a loss to Charles Oliveira in his most recent appearance. The original meeting between McGregor and Holloway took place in 2013, which McGregor won before either fighter became a major star in the sport.
Brown suggested that McGregor’s previous confidence has been replaced with necessity. “I’m sure he more expected to win versus have to win,” Brown said. “This is putting him on the pressure cooker.”
The UFC 329 main event takes place Saturday night in Las Vegas.
