Jorge Masvidal warns Conor McGregor’s layoff could decide Max Holloway fight

Jorge Masvidal has warned that Conor McGregor's five-year absence from competition could prove decisive in his UFC return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas. Speaking on a Paramount+ preview show alongside Chris Weidman and Din Thomas, the inaugural BMF champion emphasized that McGregor's performance depends entirely on how he has spent his layoff.

Masvidal stressed that fighters can extend their athletic prime during time away from competition if they maintain strict discipline—staying in the gym, running, lifting, and keeping their cardiovascular conditioning sharp. The flipside, he suggested, is far less promising: a fighter who has spent years away from professional fighting without maintaining that level of commitment will struggle to compete at elite level.

"If you've been on yachts, snorting coke, chasing chicks, and you want to fight Max Holloway, I don't think so," Masvidal said bluntly. McGregor and Holloway originally fought 13 years ago as rising featherweights; they now meet as established fan favorites in a welterweight matchup, both seeking to return to winning form. McGregor has maintained he is in his athletic prime, but Masvidal's comments reflect a broader MMA concern: time away from combat sports, regardless of training claims, can erode the reflexes and fight-specific conditioning necessary to perform at championship level.