UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen isn’t a fan of the promotion’s rumored plans for Conor McGregor’s return to fighting after five years away.
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor could be weeks away from a return to the Octagon for his first fight since July 2021. McGregor hasn’t fought since injuring his leg against Dustin Poirier in their UFC 264 trilogy, and was briefly scheduled to return at UFC 303 before suffering an injury just weeks before the event.
Several intriguing names are rumored to be in the mix to potentially fight McGregor in the superstar fighter’s comeback fight. One such name is former BMF titleholder Max Holloway, who lost to McGregor in their first meeting in August 2013.
While the UFC hasn’t formally announced plans for McGregor’s return, the matchmakers are allegedly targeting the upcoming UFC 329 card for McGregor’s long-awaited comeback. But if McGregor fights Holloway this summer, one UFC legend will have a hard time getting fired up for it.
Chael Sonnen questions logic behind potential Conor McGregor/Max Holloway showdown
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen encouraged the promotion to explore other options for McGregor’s comeback fight.
“I don’t think they’re going to put [Conor] with Max…it would disappoint me, those guys have no reason to fight,” Sonnen said of a McGregor vs. Holloway rematch.
“The fact that it’s a rematch? You can’t bring that up, because only [experts] know it’s a rematch. They don’t realize that first fight took place at 145, and they’re not going to fight a 155, they’ll fight at 170. There’s just nothing on it.
“What’s the win for Conor? That he’s 2-0 against Max?” Sonnen continued on McGregor and Holloway. “I just don’t get it. Does one of them draw to a bigger fight? Does this affect the rankings? No, no, no. It’s at 170 pounds, and the match doesn’t make any sense. I would get behind it, to a degree, but that’s a weird booking, and I think it’s a mistake.”
Holloway lost the BMF belt to Charles Oliveira in their UFC 326 fight earlier this year. Meanwhile, McGregor will seek his first win since January 2020 once his comeback fight is unveiled.
What is your prediction for a potential Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway fight? Let us know in the comments!