Former two division UFC champion Conor McGregor defeated current UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway by unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 26 in August of 2013.
If the duo were to ever clash against, coach Firas Zahabi believes the outcome would change in Holloway’s favor.
“If I had to pick Max Holloway vs. McGregor today, I would pick Max Holloway,” Zahabi said during a Tristar Gym AMA on Youtube (via Bloody Elbow). “I think Holloway has grown leaps and bounds since then. In my opinion, Holloway would out punch him, outwork him. He would do very much what Diaz did, but more. I think McGregor got away with a lot of stuff, like the leg kicks against Diaz, but I don’t think he’ll have that against Holloway. Holloway has the same type of output as Diaz, the same kind of chin as Diaz. He’s more athletic than Diaz, he has more variety in his attacks, he has more kicking, kneeing and elbowing, and his chin is just phenomenal. So I really think he would take it in the later rounds. I think the blueprint for beating McGregor is more well understood by the roster.”
Holloway has won thirteen straight since the first meeting with McGregor, while McGregor has won seven of nine since that time.
Zahabi says the later rounds of a five round fight is where Holloway would gain the advantage over McGregor.
“I like McGregor early, round one or round two, but after that, three, four, five, I think that’s going to belong to Holloway,” he said. “Even one of the first two rounds could belong to Holloway. I really think Holloway now is in his prime, and it’s going to be very very difficult to beat him.”
It could be some time before McGregor fights any opponent because he and UFC Lightweight Champion Khabib Nurmagomedov are still awaiting punishment from the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) for their roles in the UFC 229 post-fight brawl.
McGregor would get word of what Zahabi said and would issue the following response via Twitter:
Hey firaz. Young man afraid to get in and fight, himself. Stop talking about me like you know me, you twerp.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 9, 2019
You are what age? Why are not in there yourself? Are you not up to it?
You rent dorms and hit a clock for a living.
Shut your pie, kid.
