UFC star Max Holloway revealed his ideal return date to the Octagon after defeating Conor McGregor via first-round TKO at UFC 329.
Holloway defeated McGregor by injury TKO just 69 seconds into the UFC 329 main event after McGregor blew his knee out and couldn’t continue.
It was a terrible way for an amazing card to end, but regardless of how it happened, Holloway got his hand raised.
Now, what’s next for him?
Max Holloway Reveals Ideal Return Date
Speaking to reporters in the UFC 329 post-fight press conference, Holloway shared his ideal return date to the Octagon.
Holloway says that he wants a trilogy bout with McGregor, and he is willing to wait until 2027 for it to happen, both because McGregor will need time to recover from his latest injury, and because Holloway wants to take some time off to spend with his family after having fought twice in 2026.
“He was talking about this 170 domain. I put this 170 work. We worked our asses here, especially after turning around so fast in that March fight, and to come back. I want to feel that domain he’s talking about, that 170-pound Conor that he’s talking about. This different world. That’s what I want. I want to see what his injury is. As for me, I’m down to come back in 2027. With that March fight and then this fight – I know I came out unscathed – I owe my family some time: My wife and my son. That’s my focus. You’re going to see ‘Blessed’ return in 2027,” Holloway said (via MMAjunkie.com).
Max Holloway Says Conor McGregor Seemed Different
According to Holloway, he felt McGregor was a bit off compared to what his expectations were of the UFC superstar heading into UFC 329. He felt that McGregor would be a lot louder and boisterous, instead of being as calm as he seemed to be in the lead-up to the fight.
“I mean, I don’t know. I did the UFC podcast before, and me and ‘Wonderboy’ talked about it. Even him walking into the octagon, it didn’t seem like the same Conor. He stood in there to fight, but I thought he would be a little bit more rowdy, a little bit more crazy. He looked like really, really calm, super calm. I was like, ‘Oh wow. Let’s see how this goes.’ I knew he was going to attack me with something. It was that kick. It sucks,” Holloway said.
As far as a potential trilogy bout between McGregor and Holloway goes, UFC president Dana White said following UFC 329 that he wasn’t yet ready to commit to it. While it’s a possibility, the odds are that McGregor is going to need a long break to recover and heal up from his latest injury, and so the UFC might just want to move on and book something else for Holloway instead.
It was a terrible ending to what should have been an amazing fight between the two stars, but in MMA, any fight can end with an injury to either combatant.
Max Holloway Reveals Ideal Return Date After UFC 329 Win