Max Holloway: I'll fight Conor McGregor on 'that little soccer field' in Ireland
Max Holloway traveled to Ireland this past weekend to enjoy the festivities of the UFC Fight Night card in Dublin, but despite stepping into enemy territory he had no problem challenging current interim featherweight champion Conor McGregor along the way.
Holloway lost to McGregor by decision in 2013 before reeling off seven straight wins ahead of his next fight at UFC 194 against Jeremy Stephens.
Holloway has been itching for a chance to rematch McGregor and considering he still stands as the only fighter in the UFC to make it to decision with the outspoken Irishman, he believes one more win should earn him the shot.
"If Conor gets through (Jose) Aldo and I beat (Jeremy) Stephens, I'll come back to Ireland and we can fight inside that little soccer field that he wants to fight in," Holloway said in reference to Ireland's Croke Park, which is rumored for a UFC card in 2016.
UFC president Dana White has promised if McGregor wins in December that he would put his first title defense at the 90,000-plus seat stadium in Dublin.
Holloway has talked about a rematch with McGregor for years, but with his climb in the rankings in recent months it seems like a second fight between the two featherweights is closer than ever to reality.
The first fight was mired in some controversy with Holloway suffering an ankle injury in the opening exchange of the fight and that happened before McGregor ended up blowing out his knee, which resulted in surgery and a lengthy sabbatical from action before he was able to return to the UFC.
Even with those injuries, Holloway says he gutted it out to the end and it was McGregor who was diving for takedowns to take home the decision, not the other way around.
"I didn't complain but I had an injury in the first 30 seconds of the fight that made me not be able to move the way I wanted to move," Holloway revealed.
"We'll see what happens. The last time we fought someone took someone down and it wasn't me.
McGregor has hinted that if he gets past Aldo at UFC 194 in December that he might abandon the featherweight division all together and make a move up to lightweight.
Even if that is the case, Holloway says he's more than happy to follow McGregor up to 155 pounds as well and sees a future where the two of them engage in several fights throughout their respective UFC careers.
"I'm only 23, I turn 24 at the end of the year," Holloway said. "I'm probably going to go up in weight and me and Conor's probably going to fight a bunch of times and all you guys are going to be loving it."
