Will Conor McGregor wrestle Max Holloway? ‘I doubt it’

What would be the easiest way for Conor McGregor to beat Max Holloway on Saturday night at UFC 329? Based on how we watched Charles Oliveira beat Holloway, the obvious answer is to take “Blessed” down and keep him on the ground.

Oliveira blanked Holloway on all three judges scorecards by shooting early takedowns and securing Holloway’s back, threatening submissions for 25 minutes. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. Holloway had no answer for the strategy and was stuck trying to keep “Do Bronx” from getting his arm under his neck. And in their first fight, McGregor achieved similar domination over Holloway on the ground. Will Conor do that again? Probably not, according to former UFC champion Michael Bisping.

“I doubt it, I don’t think so,” Bisping told Casino.org. “Wrestling is one of the most cardio-heavy aspects of mixed martial arts. It is so tiring trying to take down another human being that has good takedown defense. And Conor historically is very explosive but tends to fade as the fights go on, so I don’t think we’ll see Conor shooting [for a takedown]. I wouldn’t say it’s the smart approach, anyway.”

Bisping believes McGregor should rely on his knockout power, which has paid off in seven of his past eight UFC wins.

“Conor’s best chance is to go out there, believe in his left hand, land the big shot,” he said. “Knock him out, and then blow the roof off the T-Mobile Arena. I don’t think anyone’s shooting for a takedown in that fight.”

We wouldn’t be so sure. While it’d be smart for McGregor to keep things on the feet early while he’s fresh to let his speed and power shine, strategic takedowns after the second round would be smart, especially given Conor’s size advantage at welterweight. There’s no way McGregor’s coaches haven’t watched Holloway vs. Oliveira multiple times and picked out half a dozen openings for “The Notorious” to exploit if necessary.

Both McGregor and Holloway are stand-up artists, and the fight will undoubtedly start out as a duel on the feet. What happens as the fight goes deeper is in question, but if Conor is smart he’ll take a page out of Oliveira’s (and 2013 McGregor’s) book and take Max down.

For more information on all the fights at UFC 329 on Paramount+ click here.