The UFC is close to finalizing a rematch between superstar Conor McGregor and longtime rival Max Holloway for a blockbuster summer fight.
The New York Post reported on Friday that the UFC is closing in on a deal for McGregor vs. Holloway 2, which is set to take place at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas. According to the report, the bout will take place in the UFC welterweight division at 170 lbs. McGregor is also pushing for a three-round main event fight instead of the typical five rounds for a headlining bout, which could potentially be why the announcement for this bout hasn’t been made yet. The Post reported that McGregor is in camp, and the official announcement for this bout could be imminent.
With the MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano card taking place on Netflix tonight, the UFC could attempt to counterprogram them by making the McGregor vs. Holloway 2 announcement during that event. But either way, the official announcement of McGregor vs. Holloway 2 is expected very soon.
McGregor vs. Holloway 2 is a Blockbuster Fight
The UFC needs big fights, and it doesn’t get any better than the rematch between McGregor and Holloway, who are two of the biggest stars in the UFC, with McGregor being the biggest ever.
These two rivals first met in 2013, when both were relatively young in their careers. McGregor actually wrestled his way to a win in that fight after he suffered a knee injury, which was one of the only times in his entire career that he has grappled during a fight, as he’s primarily a striker. After that fight, McGregor became the UFC featherweight and UFC lightweight champion, surely punching his ticket to the UFC Hall of Fame when his career is all said and done.
As for Holloway, he became the UFC featherweight champion in the years after that, and he will be in the UFC Hall of Fame when he hangs up his gloves, too. He made the move to lightweight a few years ago, but for this return fight against McGregor, Holloway will compete at welterweight for the first time in his UFC career. He likely won’t have to cut much, if any, weight for this bout, so it will be interesting to see how he matches up physically against McGregor, who has previous experience fighting at 170 lbs.
Betting odds for McGregor vs. Holloway 2
The sportsbooks recently opened up the betting odds for a potential McGregor vs. Holloway 2 bout. According to the opening odds, Holloway is a -270 favorite with McGregor as a +230 underdog, although these betting odds will surely shift as we get closer to the fight.
Given that McGregor has not fought in five years, it makes sense that he is the underdog for this fight against Holloway, who is still very active inside the Octagon. But at the same time, bettors will likely bite at these big underdog odds on McGregor, which would drive the line back down a bit. Either way, this is going to be one of the biggest fights of the summer, and we are close to having it made official.
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