Can former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor return to the octagon after five years and be successful? Original BMF titleholder Jorge Masvidal doesn’t think so.
McGregor is set to come back in the UFC 329 main event on July 11 during the fight promotion’s annual International Fight Week against former featherweight champion and BMF titleholder Max Holloway.
“I think Max smokes him like a brisket,” Masvidal said on Deep Waters.
Part of Masvidal’s reasoning centered around McGregor’s behavior and habits. His lifestyle is well chronicled on his social media accounts.
“It’s also the lifestyle. I think Conor lives a certain lifestyle that we’ve all seen and then you can kind of tell that it’s not for show. It’s really his lifestyle, and Max lives a completely different lifestyle,” Masvidal said.
“I’ve never seen Max at a club drunk. You’ve never see him in the headlines for anything bad. That guy lives a different life where he’s gym, family, gym, family, gym, family. I think that’s going to pay the biggest dividends because you could be away from the sport five years and come back like nothing happened if you live that life.”
One thing McGregor has never lacked is self confidence. He has an unwavering belief in himself, but Masvidal questioned whether the Irishman still has it.
“For most great fighters to have that confidence, it comes from one place, the gym, the roadwork, the hunger. You train. You out-train everybody in the room. You’re constantly putting in more work than the guys and you’re able to say, ‘Hey, I got this. I’m well prepared for this moment. Whatever happens, I’m ready to go.’ I don’t know if he still has that in him,” he said.
“He’s not fighting a slouch. He’s fighting Max Holloway … Max is still Max. I still feel he can go out there, win a world title, do a lot of big things. I think it’s a bad fight for Conor,” Masvidal continued. “I think Max is going to be way too much for Conor.”