McGregor's Coach On Holloway's Toughness

Owen Roddy (Conor McGregor’s coach) has given his first public assessment of Conor's UFC 329 preparation, and the long-time striking coach is under no illusions about what awaits his fighter on July 11.

"He's got that fire. It's a tough fight, so that's what brings out the best in Conor because he's saying to himself, this is a f——, this is a challenge/ So, he's switched on.

“They've fought before. They have some experience with each other. That was a long time ago but yeah, it's very exciting and it's great to be back on the mats. Great to be game planning. Great to be breaking down Max and looking for the holes."

Roddy's honesty about the difficulty of the matchup is notable. Framing the challenge as a feature rather than a concern is a different approach, and one that speaks to how McGregor's team views the psychological dimension of his preparation.

The suggestion is that Conor operates at a higher level when the stakes are real, and that Holloway provides exactly the kind of opponent that forces that response.

The experience factor Roddy references cuts both ways. The two men have shared the Octagon once, in 2013, giving McGregor's camp genuine film to work with and real knowledge of how Holloway moves and reacts under pressure. The caveat is that the fighter they studied in that footage is almost unrecognisable compared to the version stepping into the cage on July 11.

Holloway has fought eight times since McGregor last competed, including five title fights, and has evolved into one of the most technically complete fighters in the UFC. The holes Roddy is looking for in the film will be harder to find than they were thirteen years ago.