Ian Garry Backs Conor McGregor to Capitalize on Max Holloway’s Welterweight Debut at UFC 329 

With UFC 329 less than three weeks away, fans are eagerly anticipating the return of Conor McGregor, who is set to face Max Holloway in a welterweight main event during the promotion’s International Fight Week card on July 11. One of the biggest questions surrounding McGregor’s comeback is his prolonged inactivity. The former two-division champion has not competed inside the Octagon since July 2021, when his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier ended in disaster after he suffered a gruesome leg break. 

McGregor was originally scheduled to make his long-awaited return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in 2024, but those plans were scrapped after he sustained a broken toe just weeks before the event. In contrast, Holloway has remained one of the UFC’s most active elite fighters. Since McGregor’s last appearance, the Hawaiian has stepped into the cage eight times, taking on a murderer’s row of opponents that includes Alexander Volkanovski, Justin Gaethje, Charles Oliveira, Ilia Topuria, and Dustin Poirier.

However, a key talking point heading into UFC 329 is the weight class. Every one of Holloway’s recent fights has taken place at either featherweight or lightweight. Against McGregor, he will make his welterweight debut, a factor that Ian Machado Garry believes could significantly alter the dynamics of the matchup. According to Garry, McGregor’s power will be even more dangerous at 170 pounds.

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Garry said, “It’s not an easy fight. Max is very good at what he does. He’s obviously been in there against the best guys in the world repeatedly over and over and over again. But, whilst Conor has been inactive, the hunger will start to thrive in his mind and in his skull. And at 170 pounds, I think this fight is very, very interesting. Conor is going to have the knockout power.”

🇮🇪✊ Ian Garry believes that Conor McGregor wins Max Holloway:

“It’s not an easy fight. Max is very good at what he does. He’s obviously been in there against the best guys in the world repeatedly.

But whilst Conor has been inactive, the hunger will start to thrive in his mind… pic.twitter.com/rCpQvQVRel

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) June 22, 2026

ALSO READ: Charles Oliveira Claims Conor McGregor Handpicked Max Holloway Over Him for UFC 329 Return

For those unfamiliar, McGregor has previously fought three times at welterweight and holds a 2-1 record in the division. He first moved up to 170 pounds to face Nate Diaz at UFC 196, suffering his first UFC defeat. He later avenged that loss at UFC 202 before returning to the weight class at UFC 246, where he demolished Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds.

Garry also shared his thoughts on the contrasting striking styles of the two stars, comparing Holloway’s relentless volume to McGregor’s fight-ending power. He added, “Max Holloway is more like an Uzi when he fights. The consistency, the significant strike numbers he has are out of this world. It’s always in your face. It’s constant movement. It’s touch, touch, go. Touch, touch, move, advance. It’s constant activity. But he doesn’t have that one-punch power, that shotgun. That’s what Conor has.”

Garry also expanded on McGregor’s famed knockout power, a weapon that has long been regarded as one of the most dangerous in MMA. Even Dustin Poirier, who shared the Octagon with several elite strikers throughout his career, once described McGregor’s punches as the hardest he had ever felt.

Discussing the former two-division champion’s ability to end a fight with a single shot, Garry said, “Conor has always had that shotgun. If that left hand lands, it’s game over, and he is laser focused with it. … If one of them lands, fight’s over. If I’m Conor, and I’m walking into that first round and I enter the middle of that octagon and Max hasn’t started to instantly put the pace on him, I’d walk his ass down.”

Garry then outlined what he believes is the ideal game plan for McGregor against Holloway, emphasizing pressure, variety, and forcing the Hawaiian onto the back foot. He concluded, “I’d put his back to the cage, I’d go high, I’d go low, I’d keep him guessing, and I’d put everything straight down the middle. Just boom, and sneak one around the corner when he doesn’t expect it. That’s it, goodnight. It’s a good fight for both of them. When you look at the state of the UFC over the last couple of months, you can’t say that anybody is going to win.”

While McGregor is set to headline UFC 329 against Holloway, Garry has a massive challenge of his own awaiting him. The Irish contender is scheduled to challenge Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on August 15.

Should both Irishmen emerge victorious in their respective bouts, the UFC could find itself with a blockbuster matchup on its hands. A showdown between McGregor and Garry would instantly become one of the most talked-about fights in the sport, pitting the promotion’s biggest star against one of its fastest-rising champions.