​When Max Holloway welcomes Conor McGregor back to MMA this Saturday, July 11, at UFC 329 in Las Vegas, he’ll be pursuing redemption not only for their first meeting in 2013 but also for a 170-pound debut many hadn’t anticipated. Holloway has long earned a place among the sport’s featherweight greats, yet his move to lightweight after his final 145-pound title defense in October 2024 suggested a permanent shift. If not for the McGregor rematch, a foray into welterweight might never have materialized. Still, Holloway appears ready to embrace his new division, according to his nutritionist, Tyler Minton, who spoke in-studio Wednesday on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“We’re going to be cutting weight for this fight. Max is a big guy. When I post a picture with me and Max, people always say, ‘Holy smokes, he’s huge,’” Minton told Uncrowned. “Max is massive. He’s a very large 155-pounder now that he’s had time to adjust—and you know that a large 155-pounder tends to be a natural 170-pounder. So, yes, we’ll still undergo a weight cut for UFC 329, but it isn’t one of those cuts you have to fear or worry about. Our focus has shifted to performance, and we’re asking: How do we perform better in the next session? How do we recover from today’s session, and how do we stay focused on that?” In Minton’s view, when a true performance athlete concentrates solely on performance, the difference is substantial.
Holloway’s results at lightweight have been largely favorable in recent years. Except for a recent setback—a decision loss to Charles Oliveira in March—the former champion has posted notable victories over Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, the current UFC lightweight titleholder. Gaethje’s win over Holloway, which earned Uncrowned’s 2024 Knockout of the Year honors, underscored Holloway’s continued threat at the highest level. Minton believes Holloway possesses all the tools needed to reclaim a win over McGregor.
“There’s such a team with Max. It’s a family. Everyone has a role,” Minton said. “His wife, Alessa, handles a lot of the cooking throughout camp and ensures he stays on plan and follows the program, holding him accountable. Ivan, his head striking coach, essentially acts as a chef. We’re in Vegas, and he’s cooking for the entire team. Max can eat that same food now; he can enjoy the meals the whole team is eating. Ivan’s preparing these large, meals, and we’re effectively tag-teaming the preparation for this week.”
As for McGregor, UFC 329 marks his first appearance since a first-round TKO loss to Poirier in July 2021, a fight that also left him with a broken leg. Holloway’s upcoming challenge is steep, but the preparation, as outlined by Minton and Holloway’s team, emphasizes a balanced approach: sustaining a cutting plan for the 170-pound shift while prioritizing peak performance and post-fight recovery.
The matchup at UFC 329 raises questions about Holloway’s capacity to perform at the higher weight class and whether McGregor’s return can recapture the magic that once defined his career. For Holloway, the stakes are personal and professional—a chance to prove that his evolution into a 170-pound framework does not merely exist on paper but translates into live performance in the octagon. If Holloway can execute the game plan developed with his team, maintain the discipline around training, nutrition, and recovery, and leverage the factors that have carried him to longstanding dominance, he may well topple McGregor and reaffirm his status as one of the sport’s enduring forces.