Former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier has identified a significant obstacle for Conor McGregor in his anticipated July 11th bout against Max Holloway: motivation alone will not suffice.
McGregor, who has been sidelined for nearly five years following a severe leg injury sustained in his 2021 trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, is slated to make his octagon return at UFC 329. The matchup against Holloway will be a welterweight contest, marking McGregor’s debut at 170 pounds.
Despite McGregor’s dedication to training and rigorous preparation for the rematch, concerns linger among fans regarding his extensive time away from competition and the potential for ring rust. Cormier shares these apprehensions.
Daniel Cormier believes that while Conor McGregor will undoubtedly exhibit immense focus and motivation at UFC 329, these qualities alone are not guarantees of victory. “The Notorious” has been inactive for close to half a decade, during which Max Holloway has continued to develop, facing and defeating some of the UFC’s toughest competitors.
In a conversation with Josh Thomson, Cormier expressed his thoughts:
“My thinking is that we’ll see a Conor McGregor who is as focused and committed as he has ever been. I’m not sure if, considering the injuries, the time away, the weight fluctuations, and now the weight loss, if that Conor McGregor, even with more motivation than ever, is enough to defeat a Max Holloway. That’s not a prediction, I’m just stating my thoughts. Also, you don’t improve at something by not doing it. That’s just a fact. You can train as hard as you want, but ultimately, it’s still been about five years since he was last in an octagon.”
Dustin Poirier Believes McGregor’s Natural Power Could Be Decisive Against Holloway
Dustin Poirier suggests that despite Conor McGregor’s five-year layoff, his punching power will remain intact when he faces Max Holloway. Consequently, Poirier believes McGregor has a genuine opportunity to knock out Holloway.
Holloway has been knocked down in recent fights, and after a lengthy career filled with striking battles, questions have arisen about the resilience of his chin. Speaking on the WEIGHING IN podcast, Poirier commented:
“I think the punching power will be there regardless. I think Conor will come back from the injury and still possess that natural punching power. The question for me is the timing, the athleticism, the movement. All those aspects need to be addressed. If his counter-punching and timing are even close to what they were, he has a chance to beat Max. Conor can punch, man. No matter how long he’s been out, he still has a great equalizer, and that’s power. Some guys are simply born with it.”
English Translation:
Former UFC two-division 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 five years after a severe leg injury during his 2021 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, is finally set 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 fight at 170 pounds.
Despite McGregor going all out in training and spending extensive time in the gym before the rematch, fans remain concerned about his lengthy inactivity and the ring rust that comes with it. Even “DC” shares similar concerns.
Daniel Cormier believes that while we will undoubtedly see a fully committed and motivated Conor McGregor at UFC 329, 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 conversation 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 Conor McGregor is Born with “Power” and Can Knock Out Max Holloway if “The Notorious” Returns with Decent Timing
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 a 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, there are questions 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.”
