Conor McGregor is the betting underdog just over 24 hours before he makes his long awaited return to the Octagon at UFC 329.
McGregor has not fought in the UFC for over five years – when he sustained a broken leg during a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier – but his absence is set to end in Las Vegas when he shares the cage with Max Holloway in the main event of Saturday’s card.
And unsurprisingly, ‘The Notorious’ is expecting to make a victorious return at the expense of Holloway – who he beat via decision when the two men met back in 2013.
“I can destroy Max inside 10 seconds,” McGregor said at the pre-fight press conference. “I have knockouts inside three seconds on my fighting record. I have Hall of Fame fighters, multiple Hall of Fame UFC fighters defeated and destroyed both together and under a minute. And I can add Max to that.
“However, don't get it twisted. If we go into these deep waters, Max is going to be in a lot of trouble, badly concussed. I predict destruction. I'm going to destroy Max; I'm going to eliminate Max. The final opponent of mine still within the UFC ranks. All of my other opponents are gone. Max is the last one left, and on Saturday night, he gets eliminated for good.”
The bookmakers do not share McGregor’s confidence though – they make him the betting underdog despite his previous win over Holloway. The former two-weight world champion is currently 7/4 to win the fight with bet365, while Holloway is a 10/21 favourite and 20/23 to get the job done via knockout.
“I hope he knows how to swim,” warned Holloway. “Because I’m going to drown his ass on Saturday.”
And that is the big question heading into Saturday’s fight – just how much does McGregor have left in the tank? He lost three of his last four bouts before his long hiatus, and he has not won since knocking out a past-his-peak Donald Cerrone back in January 2020.
Since then he has been in the headlines more for his partying and legal troubles away from the Octagon, but the Irishman insists he has been fully focused since agreeing to face Holloway at UFC 329.
“I stuck a little bed in the gym and I’ve been living there – literally,” he said. “In order for me to exit the gym, I had to walk across the mats and put in a session. No travel, no traffic – just right in the thick of it.
“I had a lot of young hungry lions around me – angling for a spot to be in my position. So it’s been a tremendous camp. And on we go. Glory to God.”