Jason Burgos
On Saturday night, one of the most beloved fighters in UFC history, Max Holloway, returns to the Octagon in a highly anticipated matchup. However, this will be no normal fight. “Blessed” is the latest fighter to win the Conor McGregor sweepstakes and will secure a sizable payday to face the most famous fighter in UFC history.
Heading into the main event of this weekend’s UFC card, Holloway is the betting favorite and with good reason. He has been far more active over the last five years. And of the two, he has had much more success in the back nine of his career. If the Hawaiian scores a victory at UFC 329, we take an early look at five perfect options for Holloway’s next fight in the Octagon.
Benoit Saint-Denis
Another major matchup going down on the UFC 329 main card is lightweight contenders Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett. A victory for the Frenchman would be his fifth straight and could land him a title shot. If not, matching him up with the legend in a title eliminator clash later this year would make sense for the company. Plus, it could be an outstanding fight.
Paddy Pimblett
There is a flip side to the Saint-Denis equation, and that is Pimblett getting the W on Saturday night. The Englishman already has a couple of division greats on his hit list. Adding Holloway to his win column would certainly appeal to him.
The matchup would also be a good test for “Blessed” to show he can defeat a talented grappler after he struggled against Charles Oliveria’s ground game earlier this year.
Carlos Prates
Saturday night’s main event will take place at welterweight. There is a chance that Holloway enjoys cutting little, if any, weight and decides he wants to hang around at 170 pounds to take on a top contender. A matchup with Brazilian heavy hitter Carlos Prates could be interesting.
Prates’ length and power would be a big problem for Holloway. However, he is a cardio and output machine. The welterweight contender’s smoking is well documented. It would be fascinating to see if Holloway can test his lung capacity to see if Prates is a cardio exception despite being an avid cigarette smoker. A win could catapult “Blessed” into a contender at 170.
Conor McGregor
If Holloway gets a W on Saturday night, it would mean he and McGregor both have a victory over the other. It would not be surprising, especially if it is a competitive fight, that the UFC books a third and final trilogy fight. Holloway suggested this week that it is his ultimate hope.
Jack Della Maddallena
Another option for Holloway if he wanted to test himself further at welterweight could be a matchup with former champion Jack Della Maddalena. Stylistically, the bout could be an absolute barnburner, and a victory for either would do a lot to push them further up the contender line at 170 pounds.
