Dricus Du Plessis predicts McGregor beats Holloway at UFC 329
Dricus Du Plessis predicts Conor McGregor will beat Max Holloway at UFC 329 to win the UFC featherweight title. McGregor’s comeback after years away aims to silence critics questioning his elite statu
Dricus Du Plessis, the current UFC middleweight champion, has backed Conor McGregor to beat Max Holloway in their rematch at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on S
Read Full Story at Yahoo Sports →Why This Matters
The potential Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway featherweight title bout at UFC 329 isn’t just another marquee fight—it’s a litmus test for the UFC’s ability to stage a generational comeback story while proving the durability of even its most polarizing stars. McGregor’s return after years of layoffs and legal entanglements challenges the narrative that elite fighters inevitably fade, making this a high-stakes moment for both his legacy and the promotion’s global marketability.
Background Context
McGregor’s last competitive fight before his hiatus was a 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, followed by a 2022 ankle injury that derailed his planned trilogy with Poirier and a 2023 arrest in Dubai that further delayed his return. Holloway, meanwhile, has been a dominant force at 145 pounds since 2017, but this would be his first shot at a UFC title in a division he’s never officially fought in—a sharp contrast to his 2023 lightweight title win against Justin Gaethje.
What Happens Next
If McGregor wins, he cements his place as the UFC’s most bankable crossover star since early 2010s dominance, potentially reigniting demand for a long-rumored boxing match with Floyd Mayweather or a return to lightweight for another shot at Islam Makhachev. A loss, however, could accelerate calls for him to retire, while a Holloway victory would force the UFC to either anoint a new featherweight king or revisit the division’s stagnation after Alexander Volkanovski’s departure.
Bigger Picture
This fight reflects a broader trend in MMA where aging superstars increasingly rely on nostalgia-driven narratives to extend their primes, often at the expense of younger contenders waiting in the wings. It also highlights the UFC’s reliance on marquee names over organic divisional growth—a strategy that, while lucrative in the short term, risks alienating its core audience if the next generation isn’t given clear pathways to stardom.
