FILE – Dustin Poirier tries to kick Conor McGregor, right, during a UFC 264 lightweight mixed martial arts bout July 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. Charles Oliveira will defend his UFC lightweight title belt against Poirier in the main event of UFC 269 in Las Vegas on Saturday night, Dec. 11. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)
Former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira has told Conor McGregor he must get the job done within the first round against Max Holloway – otherwise there’s trouble ahead.
McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time in five years in a highly-anticipated bout at UFC 329 – facing Holloway for the second time in his career after beating him via unanimous decision in August 2013.
But Oliveira, speaking on behalf of Action Network, believes Holloway may run away with the victory if McGregor doesn’t lay down a marker early doors.
Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway UFC 329 verdict
He said: “Max is a guy who’s been going five rounds in his recent fights. He handles five rounds very well. Conor has been inactive for a long time.
“He actually asked for the fight to be three rounds and he picked the opponent. Because, in reality, everyone knows that fight was supposed to be against me, but he chose the opponent.
“That’s part of the game. You’ve got to choose what you think is best for you. The fight is going to be at 77 kilos. Honestly, I think the first round will tell us a lot.
“If he doesn’t get the knockout or put on a very dominant performance in the first round, then the later rounds tend to favour Max Holloway because of his speed and because he won’t need to cut weight.”
Despite the stark warning for the Irishman, Oliveira is predicting a ‘magical fight’ – one that will draw massive attention to the sport on July 11 in Las Vegas.
He added: “But, as I always say, Conor is one of the guys who made history and helped raise the profile of the sport. The arena is going to be packed. It’s going to be magical.”
