Dustin Poirier breaks down rematch between rivals Conor McGregor, Max Holloway

There actually isn’t one other fighter on the planet fairly as aware of the preventing tendencies and skills of each Conor McGregor and Max Holloway than Dustin Poirier.

The fashionable, not too long ago retired fighter accomplished and received separate trilogies with McGregor and Holloway throughout his UFC profession.

McGregor hasn’t competed in blended martial arts since back-to-back fights in opposition to Poirier in 2021, however the group formally introduced over the weekend that McGregor’s comeback combat has been scheduled in opposition to Holloway for Las Vegas on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena.

Now that two of his most notable former rivals are set to fulfill within the UFC 329 fundamental occasion, who higher to interrupt down the sequel than Poirier? After all, “The Diamond” spent a lot of his UFC profession particularly making ready for both McGregor or Holloway – 18.75 per cent of it to be actual. 

Ireland’s McGregor is a former two-weight UFC champion however solely has one win since 2016, and he sustained a grotesque damaged leg in his most up-to-date look.

Meanwhile, Hawaii’s Holloway has fought eight occasions since McGregor’s final bout and is listed as a greater than a five-to-one betting favorite in comparison with McGregor, who is almost to a four-to-one betting underdog two months forward of the occasion.

Despite all that, Poirier shouldn’t be writing off McGregor’s possibilities.

“The thing is, Conor has the power,” Poirier mentioned when sharing his preliminary ideas on the anticipated matchup on Deep Waters, a weekly YouTube present hosted by former UFC stars Din Thomas, Chris Weidman, Jorge Masvidal and Poirier. “Like, no matter the injury, (his punching power is) gonna be there still, the timing, a lot of other things matter but the power is gonna be there.”

McGregor already might have a slight psychological benefit over Holloway since UFC 329’s featured matchup is a rematch of a 2013 combat from earlier than both received a UFC title.

The story of that preliminary assembly was McGregor overcoming a major knee damage throughout the bout. McGregor, in his second UFC look, tore the ACL in one in every of his knees early within the bout and used wrestling as a substitute of hanging to regulate Holloway en path to a three-round unanimous resolution.

When requested if the primary combat outcome may need any affect on the rematch, Poirier argued: “It’ll have influence on the trash talk because Conor got a win over him so he’s going to keep riding that, but it’s a completely different fight. (The first fight) was too long ago.”

McGregor, 37, has been rumoured to be making his return to the game for a couple of years at this level. He had a earlier matchup with Michael Chandler scheduled for June 2024 that by no means got here to fruition.

Holloway, 34, can be a former featherweight champion like McGregor and has develop into the UFC’s all-time chief in whole time spent competing contained in the Octagon. Holloway is coming off a five-round resolution loss to Charles Oliveira in March throughout which Oliveira used floor management to safe the match.

“I think Max smokes him like a brisket,” Masvidal mentioned of the matchup. “Max lost a good fight with Charles but Max is still Max. I still feel he can go win a world title, do some big things. I think it’s a bad fight for Conor, confidence or no confidence.” 

Stylistically, the Holloway vs. McGregor rematch is shaping as much as be a hanging match.

“This is going to be a fire fight,” Poirier mentioned. “Oliveira was able to smother (Holloway), which I was surprised because Max is hard to hold down. Conor’s going to kickbox with him for 25 minutes.”

Poirier went a mixed 4-2 versus McGregor and Holloway.

Poirier vs. Holloway historical past

UFC 143, Feb. 4, 2012: Poirier welcomed Holloway to the UFC on brief discover again once they competed as featherweights, submitting a rookie Holloway inside one spherical.

UFC 236, April 13, 2019: Poirier received an interim UFC light-weight title by way of five-round unanimous resolution over Holloway, who accepted a bout with Poirier on brief discover for a second time.

UFC 318, July 19, 2025: Holloway avenged his two earlier losses to Poirier with a five-round unanimous resolution win for the BMF Title at UFC 318 final July in Poirier’s retirement combat in his residence state of Louisiana.

Poirier vs. McGregor historical past

UFC 178, Sept. 27, 2014: McGregor knocked Poirier out in lower than two minutes to enhance to 4-0 within the UFC. It was Poirier’s first knockout loss and the combat that resulted in him transferring up from 145 to 155 kilos.

UFC 257, Jan. 24, 2021: Poirier shocked the fight sports activities world on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi when he grew to become the primary MMA opponent to cease McGregor with strikes (Floyd Mayweather Jr. additionally did in a 2017 boxing match).

UFC 264, July 10, 2021: The heated trilogy ended with Poirier incomes a second consecutive TKO win over McGregor after McGregor broke his left leg on the finish of the opening spherical.

In one nook, rust may very well be an element for McGregor contemplating his inactivity. In the opposite, wear-and-tear may very well be a problem for Holloway.

“The thing that I keep thinking about is Max in his last three fights, he’s touched the canvas more times than he’s touched in his whole career,” Poirier mentioned. “Conor can punch and if Max’s chin is finally catching up to his style of fighting he does, Conor could put him down.”

The first combat between Holloway and McGregor passed off at 145 kilos and lately they’ve been largely competing as 155-pounders. However, the UFC 329 headliner has been scheduled as a welterweight contest, in order that they’ll be capable of weigh as a lot as 171 kilos the day earlier than the occasion.

“I think (the rematch) is a little different of a story,” Poirier added. “Max is for sure a volume puncher, but at (155 pounds) when I fought him last, he had power behind his shots and I gotta think at 170 he’s going to have even more power because Max can punch now, man. He’s not just a volume puncher. He can finish fights.”

Matchups confirmed for UFC 329 thus far:

— Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway

— Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoît Saint Denis

— Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista

— Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh

— Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison

— Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov

— Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yanez

— Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Cong

— Damian Pinas vs. Cesar Almeida

— Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III

— Ode’ Osbourne vs. Cody Durden