Conor McGregor has reacted to Max Holloway’s rematch suggestion.
‘Blessed’ stole the show at UFC 300 on Saturday night when he brutally knocked out Justin Gaethje in the final second of their BMF title fight.
Holloway delivered one of the best MMA moments of all time at UFC 300Credit: Getty
UFC commentator Joe Rogan called Holloway’s KO ‘the greatest of all time’, Facebook billionaire Mark Zuckerberg lost his mind and the UFC CEO Dana White gave his fighter an unprecedented $600,000 bonus.
The former featherweight champion was asked who he hopes to face next during a post-fight press conference, and McGregor’s name immediately popped into his mind.
“We’ve got options, brother,” Holloway said.
“Conor likes to consider himself a BMF, right?
“So, we can figure that out.
“I don’t really got history with Islam [Makhachev] but me and Dustin [Poirier] have got some history. Five years to the date, ‘Muffin Top Max’ fought Dustin and that didn’t go my way.
“At the end of the day, we’ve got options. First things first, heal up, enjoy this with my family and then you guys can ask me in a couple of months what the next step is.”
Footage of Holloway’s callout quickly made its way to McGregor, but the usually mouthy Irishman simply responded to it with a congratulatory message.
‘Blessed’ is open to a BMF title defence against McGregorCredit: Getty
‘Notorious’ outpointed Holloway in 2013Credit: Getty
He wrote alongside Holloway’s BMF suggestion and a wink emoji: “Congrats Max!”
Holloway and McGregor fought during their early days in the UFC.
At the time of their fight in 2013, McGregor was much further along in his MMA development, and it showed as he dominated before suffering a torn ACL.The fight then changed, and the former Cage Warriors dual-weight champion wrestled his way to a decision win.
McGregor went on to capture UFC belts in two different weight classes and make a ridiculous amount of money before adding to his £200 million net worth with boxing bouts and a movie career.
Holloway became a featherweight champion and established himself as one of the best 145lb fighters of all time.
McGregor vs Chandler finally has a dateCredit: @TheNotoriousMMA – Twitter
A rematch seems to make all the sense in the world, but McGregor must first get back in the win column when he takes on Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29.
The 35-year-old hasn’t fought since breaking his leg during a trilogy bout with Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, and it’s currently unclear if he can still mix it with the very best.
A win over Chandler would prove he can and potentially set up a mouthwatering rematch with the newly-minted BMF champion Holloway.