Chael Sonnen sees Conor McGregor taking on a massive assignment at UFC 329, even if the path to beating Max Holloway looks narrow.
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Sonnen made the point during a preview of McGregor’s July 11 welterweight rematch with Holloway. McGregor has not fought since his 2021 leg break against Dustin Poirier, and he is now returning in a five-round main event against a fighter who has stayed active through several major fights.
McGregor and Holloway first fought in 2013, when McGregor won a decision at featherweight. Thirteen years later, they meet again at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with both careers in very different places.
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Sonnen Says McGregor Is Taking On A Serious Comeback
Sonnen started with respect for McGregor’s willingness to attempt the comeback, then immediately pointed to the injury and weight-class issues.
“Well, I’m inspired right now by Conor McGregor and I don’t think there’s very many famous elitist millionaires that could inspire me, but he is really… He’s tackling something big here,” Sonnen said during a recent preview on Paramount+. “First off, that’s the worst injury that I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen three other guys have it, but I’ve never seen an injury worse than this. He’s returning to a weight class outside of his prime, which historically has never worked out successfully, even in the boxing world.”
MiddleEasy has already covered several UFC 329 arguments around the main event, including Israel Adesanya’s blunt Holloway prediction and Dana White’s list of possible McGregor scenarios if he wins. Sonnen’s read fits the same theme: McGregor has a route, but it appears to be a small one.
Sonnen Points To A First-Round Knockout Path
Sonnen also pointed to the five-round distance as a problem for McGregor, who struggled with longer fights even before the layoff and injury. The clearest winning lane was the early knockout threat.
“If somebody tells me they think Conor’s going to win, what I’m hearing is they think Conor’s going to knock him out,” Sonnen added. “And if somebody’s telling me they think Conor’s going to knock him out, what I’m hearing is they think he’s going to do it in the first round. That’s probably the most likely way.”
That keeps the stakes simple. McGregor still carries the left-hand danger that made his prime so volatile, but Holloway has spent years building a reputation around pace, durability, and pressure. McGregor has already dismissed Holloway’s trilogy talk and predicted Holloway’s retirement at UFC 329. Sonnen’s reality check is that the comeback likely needs to become dangerous immediately, because a long fight favors Holloway’s form and activity.
