Former UFC “Champ Champ” Conor McGregor defeated current 145-pound champion Max Holloway back in 2013. “The Notorious” bested the Hawaiian via unanimous decision, and Holloway hasn’t lost a fight in the UFC ever since. McGregor has gone on to become the biggest star the UFC has ever seen, and Holloway is undoubtedly the best featherweight on the planet.
With that being said, chatter of a potential rematch between the pair has been going around seeing how much both men have evolved since their first meeting. However, if they were to face off yet again, veteran MMA coach Firas Zahabi has his money on “Blessed.” Zahabi believes a fight between the two would look very similar to McGregor’s fight against Nate Diaz (via Bloody Elbow):
“If I had to pick Max Holloway vs. McGregor today, I would pick Max Holloway,” Zahabi said. “I think Holloway has grown leaps and bounds since then. In my opinion, Holloway would out-punch him, outwork him.
“He would do very much what Diaz did [to Conor McGregor], but more,” he said. “I think McGregor got away with a lot of stuff, like the leg kicks against Diaz, but I don’t think he’ll have that against Holloway.”
The Blueprint Is More Clear
Another key reason Zahabi is picking Holloway in a rematch is because he feels the blueprint to beating the Irishman is a lot more evident now:
“Holloway has the same type of output as Diaz, the same kind of chin as Diaz,” he said. “He’s more athletic than Diaz, he has more variety in his attacks, he has more kicking, kneeing and elbowing, and his chin is just phenomenal.
“So I really think he would take it in the later rounds. I think the blueprint for beating McGregor is more well understood by the roster.”
What do you think about Zahabi picking Holloway over McGregor in a rematch?
