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Max Holloway entered his UFC 329 main event fight with Conor McGregor as a solid favorite. Well, odds makers were right about that pick, but the way he got the win on Saturday night was not what anyone expected.
Just seconds into the bout inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the Irishman appeared to blow out his right knee while planting after a wild high kick. It didn’t take long to see his joint was severely compromised, and the bout was waived off by the referee a little over a minute into the fight.
It was not the way Holloway wanted to get the W, but a win is a win, and he will now move on to his next fight inside the Octagon, which should be sooner rather than later since he didn’t even break a sweat at UFC 329. With that in mind, let’s look at five opponent options for Holloway’s UFC return later this year.
Mauricio Ruffy
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Brazilian Mauricio Ruffy has quietly become one of the most dangerous fighters at lightweight. He is 5-1 inside the Octagon, and only one of his victories has gone the distance. If Holloway is willing to work his way into a lightweight title bout, Ruffy would be an intriguing matchup that has the potential to be a Fight of the Year contender.
Benoit Saint-Denis
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Another major matchup on the UFC 329 main card was between lightweight contenders Benoit Saint-Denis and Paddy Pimblett. A victory for the Frenchman would have been his fifth straight. However, “The Baddy” was able to score an impressive submission victory less than a minute into the fight. On paper, a Holloway vs. Saint-Denis could be a fantastic clash of very different styles.
Carlos Prates
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Saturday night’s main event took place at welterweight. There is a chance that Holloway enjoys cutting little, if any, weight and decides he wants to hang around at 170 pounds to take on a top contender. A matchup with Brazilian heavy hitter Carlos Prates could be interesting.
Prates’ length and power would be a big problem for Holloway. However, he is a cardio and output machine. The welterweight contender’s smoking is well documented. It would be fascinating to see if Holloway can test his lung capacity to see if Prates is a cardio exception despite being an avid cigarette smoker. A win could catapult “Blessed” into a contender at 170.
Paddy Pimblett
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Despite being a solid underdog on Saturday night, Pimblett again quieted his loudest doubters by scoring a big submission win over a red-hot Saint-Denis. The win thrust him back into the title picture and puts him in line for a big fight next.
“The Baddy” already has a couple of lightweight legends on his hit list. Trying to add “Blessed” to his win column would certainly intrigue him and could be a great headliner for a Fight Night card in the O2 in London.
Jack Della Maddallena
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Another option for Holloway if he wanted to test himself further at welterweight could be a matchup with former champion Jack Della Maddalena. Stylistically, the bout could be an absolute barnburner, and a victory for either would do a lot to push them further up the contender line at 170 pounds.
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