Matt Brown: Conor McGregor might be at his best at UFC 329

Former UFC welterweight Matt Brown believes Conor McGregor might deliver his best performance in years when he returns against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on Saturday, driven by the pressure to silence critics after five years away.

Brown, speaking on The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast as reported by MMA Fighting, acknowledged McGregor won't be the same fighter who conquered two divisions but argued the Irish star's desperation to prove himself could work in his favor. "He's got to win this fight," Brown said. "He's got to prove motherf*ckers wrong. This is putting him on the pressure cooker. This is a terrible look if he doesn't win this fight. It really affects a lot of things going forward."

Why the Holloway rematch makes sense for McGregor's comeback

Brown initially questioned the wisdom of facing a top-five ranked opponent like Holloway after such a long layoff. But the former knockout artist now sees strategic logic in the matchup, pointing to their 2013 bout where McGregor physically dominated the Hawaiian despite tearing his ACL mid-fight. With the rematch set at 170 pounds, a weight class where McGregor has competed multiple times but Holloway has not, Brown thinks the size advantage could play out similarly. "He out-physicalled Max the first time," Brown noted. "He bullied him a little bit, pushed him around."

McGregor enters the fight with one bout remaining on his UFC contract, making the stakes particularly high. A win could potentially position him for a lightweight title shot against champion Justin Gaethje, who has already expressed interest in that matchup. A loss, however, would dramatically shift the narrative around his future and marketability, even for someone who will always draw crowds.

Brown expects Holloway to win but won't rule out a McGregor resurgence. UFC 329 takes place Saturday with the lightweight bout closing the card.

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• MMA Fighting — Matt Brown argues Conor McGregor might be at his best at UFC 329: ‘He’s got to prove motherf*ckers wrong’