​LAS VEGAS — Max Holloway has no trouble waiting his turn. After a bizarre and unfortunate ending to his rematch with Conor McGregor, Holloway is now keen to push for a trilogy, even if that means sitting out for several months. Holloway, who enters the bout with a 27-9 MMA and 23-9 UFC record, took on McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) this past Saturday as the headliner at UFC 329, held at T-Mobile Arena and streamed on Paramount+. The fight concluded in a mere 69 seconds after McGregor injured his knee on the first strike of the exchange.
With the score now technically tied at 1-1, Holloway is clamoring for a deciding encounter to settle the score once and for all. “He was talking about this 170 domain,” Holloway said at the UFC 329 post-fight press conference. “I put in that 170 work. We pushed hard here, especially after turning around so quickly in the March fight, and then coming back. I want to experience that domain he keeps referring to—the 170-pound Conor, that version of him. That is the world I want to test myself against. I want to see what his injury is. As for me, I’m willing to return in 2027. With the March fight and this one, I came out unscathed, and I owe my family some time. My wife and my son—those are my priorities. Expect to see ‘Blessed’ back in 2027.”
In the opening moments, McGregor dashed across the cage to launch a jumping kick. He landed awkwardly and appeared to twist his knee, grimacing in obvious pain. He attempted to continue, but he subsequently sat down and then fell to the mat twice before referee Mike Beltran halted the action. The stoppage led to speculation about whether McGregor had entered the fight with an injury, a notion McGregor has denied. Holloway, however, is not so certain of McGregor’s health heading into the bout.
“I mean, I don’t know,” Holloway said. “I did the UFC podcast before, and me and ‘Wonderboy’ talked about it. Even him walking into the octagon didn’t look like the same Conor. He came to fight, but I expected him to be a little bit more rowdy, a little more crazy. He looked really calm—super calm. I thought, ‘Okay, let’s see how this plays out.’ I knew he would try to attack me with something. It ended up being that kick. It’s a bummer.”
This report first appeared on MMA Junkie, with Holloway expressing his desire for a Conor McGregor trilogy and indicating his willingness to wait until 2027 to ensure the best possible version of that fight for both performance and SEO benefits. Holloway’s stated plan underscores his long-term view: build the narrative, cultivate the health and readiness of both fighters, and pursue a defining trilogy when circumstances align in a way that may yield the most meaningful result for fans and his own legacy.