MMA analyst Kenny Florian has given his thoughts on Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway at UFC 329 this weekend.
For the first time in five years, Conor McGregor will compete in a mixed martial arts fight under the UFC umbrella on Saturday. He will go head to head with Max Holloway, a man he’s quite familiar with after defeating him more than a decade ago.
Since then, McGregor has been on a real rollercoaster ride both in and outside of the cage, whereas Holloway has become one of the most beloved fighters in the history of the sport.
In a recent podcast, Kenny Florian weighed in on how things could play out for McGregor in his return.
Florian on McGregor vs Holloway
“I do think he’s made a concerted effort at being diligent with his mind, body, and spirit,” Florian said of McGregor on his “Anik & Florian” podcast. “And when Conor McGregor has traditionally done that, we’ve seen the best version of Conor McGregor. I think what’s probably even more worrisome in some ways is being out of competition for that long.
“The sport will pass you by if you’re not keeping up and evolving. However, I think Conor McGregor has been very honest in his assessment in himself, in how he’s approached the sport, how he’s approaching the sport now. I think he’s way more mature in what he’s saying, and those are really good signs.
“I also think that if you’re going to fight Max Holloway, you’re fighting him at the right time, and you’re also fighting him in the right weight class at 170, especially given Conor’s size vs. Max Holloway. Not that Max Holloway is small at all, but I think those are things that are slightly in favor of Conor McGregor. And guess what? He’s also coming in as an underdog in this fight, which is also kind of a good position to be in because I think Conor loves surprising people, as well.
“So I think it comes down to how Conor is coming into this fight on a technical level. Is he forcing the knockout, is he believing in his power alone, or do we get the vintage Conor McGregor that realized that it’s his creativity and offbeat rhythm that made him special?”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
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