Max Holloway criticizes Conor McGregor over post-fight remarks
3 sources • 4 min read • Latest: Aug 21, 2026, 6:00 PM
Last updated Aug 21, 2026

After his TKO victory over Conor McGregor at UFC 329 on July 11, Max Holloway publicly criticized McGregor's comments regarding the fight. Holloway stated that McGregor seemed 'slow' and 'looked old,' dismissing the Irish fighter's claim that he was prepared to deliver a 'generational beating.' The fight was marred by McGregor's knee injury, which he sustained early on. Holloway expressed disappointment over the fight's outcome and acknowledged the fans who supported the event. Both fighters have differing views on their next steps, with McGregor targeting a trilogy fight while Holloway is open to various opportunities, including a potential title shot or a rematch with McGregor.
- •Holloway defeated McGregor via TKO at UFC 329 on July 11.
- •McGregor sustained a knee injury early in the fight.
- •Holloway criticized McGregor's claims about the fight outcome.
- •McGregor is expected to be out for nearly a year.
- •Holloway is open to fighting McGregor again or pursuing a title shot.
- 6:00 PMMMA Fighting — Max Holloway rips ‘delusional’ Conor McGregor for post-fight comments: ‘He felt slow; he looked old’
- 6:00 PMYahoo Sports — Max Holloway rips ‘delusional’ Conor McGregor for post-fight comments: ‘He felt slow; he looked old’
- 5:44 PMCBS Sports — Max Holloway responds to 'delusional' Conor McGregor and his injury after UFC 329: 'He looked old'
"LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 11: Max Holloway punches Conor McGregor of Ireland in a welterweight fight during the UFC 329 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) Max Holloway does not know what Conor McGregor is talking about. This summer, Holloway and McGregor were supposed to fight in the main event of UFC 329, a rematch of their 2013 fight that McGregor won by decision after injuring his knee. This time around, McGregor once again injured his knee, blowing out his ACL in the first moments of the fight, resulting in a quick and anticlimactic TKO win for Holloway. After the event, McGregor lamented the unfortunate incident and claimed he was prepared to deliver “a generational beating” to Holloway. Holloway disagrees. “The fight went the way it went,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel. “I feel bad for the fans. It’s just crazy for the dude to be talking about, ‘It was slippery because of the dry ice’ or whatever. I don’t know what he’s talking about because I didn’t fall. Him talking about this ‘generational beating’ — the dude is delusional. To me, he felt slow in there. He felt slow; he looked old. If there was going to be a generational beating, it wasn’t going to be on his end, I’ll tell you that much. It wasn’t going to be coming from his side. “At the end of the day, I feel bad for the fans. It was a big event; a lot of people spent a lot of money. Shoutout to them for the support, but I had the man weak in the knees from the beginning, I guess.” While the two could normally settle things the old-fashioned way, McGregor is out of action for nearly a year due to the knee injury, and is already targeting a trilogy fight next summer. For his part, Holloway is game, but he’s also ready to jump back into the cage if the other opportunity is right, including a possible welterweight title shot given his recent spat with Islam Makhachev. “What’s next for me is the question that people have been asking me, and to be quite honest, I don’t know,” Holloway said. “I couldn’t tell you. I don’t know what’s next. We see Conor out there telling us, calling for me, wanting to be next year. I’m down for that, but I don’t know what the UFC wants. So, at the end of the day, I’m going to be here; I’m going to be ready. … “If it’s Conor next year, great. If it’s a title shot in some type of weight class, great. I went to 170. The ‘70 champ or the ‘70 champ’s team is not liking what I said, which just blew my mind, because I wasn’t being disrespectful. I was just kind of caught off guard with the situation and just said what a lot of people were probably thinking, so I’m the bad guy? It is what it is. “At the end of the day, if it’s there, I’ve got history with the 155 champ, and I know that he probably wants to get that one back. So, if it’s a title shot in either weight class, sign your boy up. If it’s the Conor McGregor fight again, I’ll sign on the dotted line.”
"Holloway doesn't understand what McGregor is talking about in the aftermath of his injury
"Max Holloway hits back at Conor McGregor for post-fight claims
Sources
External links- MMA FightingAug 21, 2026, 6:00 PMMax Holloway rips ‘delusional’ Conor McGregor for post-fight comments: ‘He felt slow; he looked old’
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 11: Max Holloway punches Conor McGregor of Ireland in a welterweight fight during the UFC 329 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) Max Holloway does not know what Conor McGregor is talking about. This summer, Holloway and McGregor were supposed to fight in the main event of UFC 329, a rematch of their 2013 fight that McGregor won by decision after injuring his knee. This time around, McGregor once again injured his knee, blowing out his ACL in the first moments of the fight, resulting in a quick and anticlimactic TKO win for Holloway. After the event, McGregor lamented the unfortunate incident and claimed he was prepared to deliver “a generational beating” to Holloway. Holloway disagrees. “The fight went the way it went,” Holloway said on his YouTube channel. “I feel bad for the fans. It’s just crazy for the dude to be talking about, ‘It was slippery because of the dry ice’ or whatever. I don’t know what he’s talking about because I didn’t fall. Him talking about this ‘generational beating’ — the dude is delusional. To me, he felt slow in there. He felt slow; he looked old. If there was going to be a generational beating, it wasn’t going to be on his end, I’ll tell you that much. It wasn’t going to be coming from his side. “At the end of the day, I feel bad for the fans. It was a big event; a lot of people spent a lot of money. Shoutout to them for the support, but I had the man weak in the knees from the beginning, I guess.” While the two could normally settle things the old-fashioned way, McGregor is out of action for nearly a year due to the knee injury, and is already targeting a trilogy fight next summer. For his part, Holloway is game, but he’s also ready to jump back into the cage if the other opportunity is right, including a possible welterweight title shot given his recent spat with Islam Makhachev. “What’s next for me is the question that people have been asking me, and to be quite honest, I don’t know,” Holloway said. “I couldn’t tell you. I don’t know what’s next. We see Conor out there telling us, calling for me, wanting to be next year. I’m down for that, but I don’t know what the UFC wants. So, at the end of the day, I’m going to be here; I’m going to be ready. … “If it’s Conor next year, great. If it’s a title shot in some type of weight class, great. I went to 170. The ‘70 champ or the ‘70 champ’s team is not liking what I said, which just blew my mind, because I wasn’t being disrespectful. I was just kind of caught off guard with the situation and just said what a lot of people were probably thinking, so I’m the bad guy? It is what it is. “At the end of the day, if it’s there, I’ve got history with the 155 champ, and I know that he probably wants to get that one back. So, if it’s a title shot in either weight class, sign your boy up. If it’s the Conor McGregor fight again, I’ll sign on the dotted line.”
- Yahoo SportsAug 21, 2026, 6:00 PMMax Holloway rips ‘delusional’ Conor McGregor for post-fight comments: ‘He felt slow; he looked old’
Max Holloway hits back at Conor McGregor for post-fight claims
- CBS SportsAug 21, 2026, 5:44 PMMax Holloway responds to 'delusional' Conor McGregor and his injury after UFC 329: 'He looked old'
Holloway doesn't understand what McGregor is talking about in the aftermath of his injury
Original reporting and copyright belong to the linked sources. SportsNewsReport.com aggregates and links — it does not republish full articles.
Related Stories
Last 14 days
UFC•Aug 21, 2026, 7:00 PMAnything but Fighting: Brandon Royval loves Metallica, Gangster Rap, Kung Fu Movies, more
UFC•Aug 21, 2026, 6:44 PMPFL debutant still mad about UFC release just missed weight by seven pounds for Cris Cyborg title fight- UFC•Aug 21, 2026, 6:42 PMJon Jones and Daniel Cormier clearly still hate each other. I hope it stays that way forever
UFC•Aug 21, 2026, 6:13 PMKetlen Vieira misses weight by 7 pounds for Cris Cyborg title fight at PFL Tampa
UFC•Aug 21, 2026, 5:52 PMUFC Sacramento video: Anthony Hernandez, Gregory Rodrigues make weight
UFC•Aug 21, 2026, 5:01 PMT.J. Dillashaw: Ian Machado Garry was fighting to survive, not win at UFC 330
