Max Holloway rips ‘delusional’ Conor McGregor for post-fight comments: ‘He felt slow; he looked old’

Max Holloway has dismissed Conor McGregor's post-fight narrative following their UFC 329 rematch, where McGregor suffered a devastating ACL injury in the opening moments. The bout ended via TKO after McGregor's injury rendered him unable to continue, handing Holloway a victory that felt more unfortunate than triumphant.

McGregor subsequently claimed he had been poised to deliver "a generational beating" to Holloway, a statement the featherweight champion flatly rejected during a recent YouTube appearance. "The dude is delusional," Holloway said. "He felt slow in there. He felt slow; he looked old. If there was going to be a generational beating, it wasn't going to be on his end, I'll tell you that much."

Holloway expressed sympathy for fans who paid to watch the anticlimactic conclusion, but made clear that McGregor's explanations about slippery conditions missed the mark. "I had the man weak in the knees from the beginning," Holloway stated, suggesting he was establishing dominance before the injury occurred.

Looking ahead, Holloway acknowledged uncertainty about his next opponent. McGregor is sidelined for nearly a year due to ACL reconstruction and is already targeting a trilogy fight next summer—a proposition Holloway said he would accept. However, the Hawaiian also expressed openness to other opportunities, including potential title shots at lightweight or welterweight. His recent comments about Islam Makhachev, the lightweight champion, drew unexpected pushback from welterweight champion Leon Edwards' camp, a reaction that puzzled Holloway.

"At the end of the day, if it's a title shot in either weight class, sign your boy up," Holloway said. "If it's the Conor McGregor fight again, I'll sign on the dotted line." With McGregor out of action and multiple options on the table, Holloway remains focused on his readiness to accept whatever opportunity the UFC presents next.