Updated

Updated · Fox Sports · Jul 9

McGregor Targets Gaethje Ahead of UFC 329 as He Defends Himself Over 2024 Assault Ruling

Updated

Updated · Fox Sports · Jul 9

McGregor Targets Gaethje Ahead of UFC 329 as He Defends Himself Over 2024 Assault Ruling

Q: Will this fight cement McGregor as an all-time great or confirm his long decline since his last major victory?

A win over Max Holloway would strengthen McGregor’s legacy, but it would not by itself settle the all-time-great debate; a loss would much more clearly reinforce the view that his elite years are behind him. McGregor already has a historic résumé: he was the UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champion and one of the sport’s biggest stars. But the gap between fame and legacy is the issue here. He has only one victory since 2016, has not fought in five years, never defended either UFC title, and is returning at 37 after a severe leg break. Those are serious facts weighing against the idea that one comeback win alone can erase a long period of decline. The matchup matters because Holloway is a credible measuring stick. He is one of the greatest featherweights in UFC history, and McGregor beat him once before, back in 2013. If McGregor defeats Holloway now, after the layoff and injury, it would be one of the most impressive comeback wins of his career and prove he is still capable of beating a top-level name. It would revive his standing and reopen title talk. But “cementing” all-time greatness likely requires more than that. Given the inactivity, the losses to Dustin Poirier, and the questions about how his game has aged, McGregor would probably need to follow a Holloway win with another major result—especially against a top contender or champion. So the stakes are asymmetrical: victory revives and upgrades his legacy; defeat confirms the decline narrative.

3 articles · Updated · Fox Sports · Jul 9

Las Vegas media day saw Conor McGregor sharpen his comeback pitch, calling UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje a "bum" while looking past a potential title shot and toward Sunday’s UFC 329 rematch with Max Holloway.
Gaethje had said he would gladly defend against McGregor and plans to sit cageside, but McGregor dismissed the talk by pointing to Gaethje’s knockout loss to Holloway at UFC 300 and saying he is not focused on lightweight.
McGregor also again denied wrongdoing in the 2024 Irish civil case brought by Nikita Hand, saying he is innocent and will keep fighting the finding tied to a 2018 Dublin hotel incident.
The 37-year-old linked some of his past turmoil to alcohol after launching Proper Twelve in 2017, as he tries to answer doubts before his first fight since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021.