Max Holloway says the Conor McGregor rematch was locked in behind the scenes before fans ever got the official UFC 329 announcement.
Holloway reacted on livestream after Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 was confirmed for UFC 329, and the former UFC featherweight champion made it clear he had been sitting on the news for a while. That is not easy when the fight is one of the biggest rematches the UFC can make.
“Oh, you guys know how hard it is,” Holloway said. “You know how hard it is to keep that fight under wraps for how long we did? We knew that fight for a minute, bro.”
The first McGregor vs. Holloway fight happened in 2013, before either man became a UFC champion. McGregor won by unanimous decision, then went on to become the first UFC fighter to hold championships in two divisions at the same time. Holloway later became one of the best featherweights ever and also held the symbolic BMF title.
That history is why UFC 329 is not just a nostalgia play. Holloway has remained active against elite names, while McGregor’s long stretches away from the cage make his return one of the bigger unknowns in the sport. The matchup has already pulled strong reactions, including Jorge Masvidal picking Holloway to beat McGregor.
Watch Holloway’s livestream clip below:
Max Holloway says he's known about the Conor McGregor fight for a while and had to keep it secret:
"You know how hard it is to keep that fight under wraps for how long we did? We knew that fight for a minute bro.
I'm excited, I get to eat what I want to eat boys… imagine I… pic.twitter.com/pzzqwqAnul
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 21, 2026
Holloway Jokes About Eating Through Camp At 170 Pounds
Holloway sounded especially happy about the weight. After years of brutal featherweight cuts and major lightweight fights, the UFC 329 bout gives him room to enjoy camp without living like a hostage to the scale.
“I’m excited, brother,” Holloway said. “I get to eat during all of camp. I get to eat what I want to eat, boys.”
Then Holloway laughed at the idea of somehow missing the welterweight mark.
“Imagine I miss weight at 170,” Holloway said. “Holy sh*t. What the f*ck am I doing? What the hell am I doing, you know?”
Holloway has already spent the last few years testing himself above featherweight, including his recent BMF title run and the planned Dustin Poirier fight at UFC 318. McGregor has also been linked to bigger weight-class talk during his stop-start comeback, including the long-running Michael Chandler saga that the UFC eventually moved away from for its White House plans.
Holloway was also asked whether McGregor’s microphone game will still be the same when fight week arrives. Holloway did not expect the Irish star to suddenly go quiet.
“You think his mic skills is gonna do this to me the same?” Holloway said. “Of course his mic skills. Why wouldn’t his mic skills be the same? Why wouldn’t it be, boys?”
Even with the jokes, Holloway did not talk like McGregor is some easy comeback fight. He made it clear that McGregor still carries danger.
“Everybody’s a hard fight, bro,” Holloway said. “Honest to a dangerous boy. You’d be dumb as hell to think he’s not.”
