Dustin Poirier discusses McGregor's challenges against Holloway at UFC 329

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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 22: (L-R) Opponents Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor of Ireland pose for photos during the UFC 257 weigh-in at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 22, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Dustin Poirier thinks Conor McGregor has an uphill battle in his rematch with Max Holloway. This summer, McGregor returns to the UFC to headline International Fight Week, taking on Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas. It’s McGregor’s first fight in five years, and a rematch of his 2013 win over Holloway, back before either man became a UFC champion. And if McGregor is going to repeat his victory, Poirier thinks McGregor should consider how he defeated Holloway the first time. “I don’t know if he’s living, sleeping, all that in the gym. For sure, he’s probably preparing. But I thought in their first fight, he showed a full arsenal of martial arts,” Poirier said on Deep Waters. “He injured his legs, switched to wrestling. Nobody knew he’d be shooting shots like that. He’s a knockout guy. He’s a standup guy. But he went out there and won the fight, did what he had to do. “That’s mastering martial arts, switching from being a kickboxer to getting your opponent down, winning rounds, and winning the fight. I thought he did a great job the first time.” Of course, many things have changed since McGregor first fought Holloway. Since 2013, both men have put together Hall of Fame-worthy careers, with multiple titles hanging on their walls. And Poirier believes McGregor may find it harder to mix the martial arts this time around, despite Charles Oliveira recently dominating Holloway in their “BMF” title fight earlier this year. “Conor’s not that kind of wrestler,” Poirier said. “And he doesn’t have the gas tank. If he does wrestle and doesn’t get a takedown or has to scramble, those later rounds, he’s going to be gassed. Especially at 170, he’s going to be heavier. I don’t think it’s good. “Max is a volume, cardio guy, with power now. So, I think it’s just trouble the later it goes. … “Charles didn’t use traditional wrestling,” Poirier added later. “It was a lot of body locks, a lot of clinch, different stuff. I bet Max’s fundamental wrestling defense is probably really good if a guy is shooting regular shots. But grappling and crawling around to your back is different. A jiu-jitsu guy’s grappling is a different field than a wrestler. The setups, the takedowns, the defense is different. So, I don’t think it’s going to be that. I don’t think Conor has what Charles had to stay on him like that.” Poirier certainly has some idea of what he’s talking about. “The Diamond” fought both McGregor and Holloway three times during his UFC career, and was the last man to fight McGregor, shattering the Irish superstar’s leg in their fight at UFC 264 in 2021. And while Poirier has fought for four UFC titles since then, McGregor has been on the shelf, leaving Poirier concerned for how his rival will perform at UFC 329. “Five years is a long time,” Poirier said. “He’s got a bunch of questions that need to be answered after the bell rings, that he doesn’t know what’s going to happen, too. Conor doesn’t know exactly what’s going to happen. Five years is a long time. Going up and fighting a guy who has been active, was world champion, was ‘BMF’ champion, this guy’s fought the best of the best for the last five years you’ve been away.” TOP STORIES $$$. Conor McGregor’s return prompts huge ticket sales with some seats costing more than $24K each. Regret. Sean O’Malley regrets not backing Josh Hokit at wild UFC White House presser: ‘I f*cked up.’ Return. Ben Askren returns to action after recovering from double lung transplant, faces Belal Muhammad at RAF 11. Wrestling. Colby Covington wants to teach Arman Tsarukyan a lesson: ‘I plan on dunking him and giving him a wedgie.’ Fitness. B.J. Penn deemed fit to proceed to trial after undergoing mental health evaluation. VIDEO STEW Sean O’Malley interview. Topuria vs. Gaethje promo. Cooking with Volk. Justin Gaethje. FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR Fighter vs. Writer. View Link SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE Ilia responds. Fathers hope. Champions know. I’ve heard this story before: bigger men, stronger men, better men. Men who said I was just a small guy who was about to get a lesson in humility. They all learned the truth the same way. Your son already knows who I am. On June 14th, you will… https://t.co/gh92btnpDG — Ilia Topuria (@Topuriailia) June 2, 2026 Winner. 美好的记忆，下次见澳门！谁是下一个🤭 pic.twitter.com/XLqTS7SzuA — Song Yadong (@SongYadongLFG) June 1, 2026 Not a winner. Saturday wasn’t a good night for me. My opponent was the better man. No excuses, thank God for blessing me with health strength so that I can do what I love. Thank all you guys for always cheering for me. — Carlston Harris Moçambique (@carlstonMMA) June 1, 2026 A++. Someone’s gotta Hodor 💁🏾‍♀️ https://t.co/kBl1j5yqVA — Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) June 1, 2026 Doubtful. But new friends! Sean would snipe Topuria ALL NIGHT LONG‼️‼️‼️USA USA USA‼️‼️‼️ https://t.co/O8NXY1KXBR — The Incredible Hok (@Josh_HokitUFC) June 1, 2026 Michael Chandler is good at this. View this post on Instagram Elite-level Dadding right there. pic.twitter.com/GZKGyaMW0B — Chris Weidman (@chrisweidman) June 2, 2026 FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS Magomed Ankalaev (21-2-1) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (14-7); UFC Abu Dhabi, July 25. Umar Nurmagomedov (20-1) vs. David Martinez (14-1); UFC Abu Dhabi, July 25. FEED ME MORE Mailbag. FINAL THOUGHTS I will be completely flabbergasted if McGregor is even competitive with Holloway at this point. And Max is on the well-done side of cooked, but Conor has been out for a lifetime, is returning from a catastrophic injury, and even in his prime, this would be a nightmare style matchup for him. But I guess we shall see. If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKLee of @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, and like us on Facebook.

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Dustin Poirier doesn’t like Conor McGregor’s chances against Max Holloway at UFC 329