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Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since 2021 – and after a string of failed comeback attempts, UFC veteran Matt Brown says the upcoming UFC 329 bout against Max Holloway might be his last real chance to matter.
“If he doesn’t make this walk, I think it’s going to be unanimous agreement he’s done, and he’s never fighting again,” Brown said on the latest episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast.
McGregor was previously booked to face Michael Chandler, and a rematch with Dustin Poirier had been discussed at various points. Neither happened. This time, the Holloway fight at UFC 329 in July feels more concrete – but Brown’s message is clear: showing up isn’t enough.
Brown Says McGregor Needs the Win Too
It’s not just about making the walk to the octagon. Brown says McGregor needs the victory as well, or risk losing the crowd entirely.
“If he doesn’t go in there and win, I think it’s going to be a unanimous agreement that no one wants to see him fight again either. Even if he looks good. That doesn’t mean people won’t watch when he fights again… He goes in, he actually fights Max Holloway, he loses, I don’t see anybody really interested in seeing him fight again.”
Brown was quick to separate interest from viewership, though. McGregor’s star power isn’t going anywhere overnight.
“Of course, everybody will watch. He’s a big enough star, he could fight and lose the next five or 10 times and people will still watch. But the interest will wane hugely if he doesn’t make this walk and find a way to win. It’s a lot of pressure on his side.”
That pressure is well-founded. McGregor carries just one win in his last four fights – a TKO of Donald Cerrone in January 2020. The losses since then tell a harder story: two TKO defeats to Poirier and a submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov. More than five years of inactivity haven’t helped that record look any better.
Against Holloway – a former featherweight champion with serious finishing ability – McGregor isn’t walking into a safe return. Brown’s point lands because the math is straightforward: no-show or loss, and McGregor’s standing as a top-tier fighter becomes very hard to defend.
