Well before they became superstars in the sport, Conor McGregor and Max Holloway were just a pair of young featherweights trying to make a name for themselves.
Back in August 2013, the pair squared off at UFC Fight Night 26 – a matchup that now feels like a bit of a sliding doors moment given they are set to go at it again in the UFC 329 main event on July 11 (July 12 AEST) at T-Mobile Arena.
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Brazilian great Jose Aldo was the featherweight kingpin at the time, and neither McGregor nor Holloway even featured on the main card inside Boston’s TD Garden.
Still, McGregor – 25 at the time – arrived with hype unlike almost any newcomer the UFC had signed.
Holloway, meanwhile, was a fearless 21-year-old Hawaiian who had debuted in the promotion the previous year on short notice against Dustin Poirier.
THE BUILD-UP
It was only McGregor’s second UFC fight, but the former plumber from Dublin had already built a cult following among hardcore MMA fans through his performances in Cage Warriors.
Many fans still had no idea who he was heading into UFC Fight Night 26, but insiders like Joe Rogan were already talking about the Irishman as a future superstar.
The sharp suits helped – and so did the confidence.
“I see myself as the face of the UFC, the headliner, the champion.” he said the day before the fight.
The UFC was already treating him differently, too.
McGregor received the famed “blackout treatment” before making the walk to the Octagon – an honour usually kept for the promotion’s biggest names.
Waving the Irish flag as Boston favourites Dropkick Murphys song “I’m Shipping Up To Boston” blasted, McGregor got a huge reception from the crowd.
“From Ireland, one UFC fight and this place is on its feet,” said Rogan in commentary.
“I know this is Boston, and I know that they’re Irish… I grew up here, I know they go crazy for anything Irish but this is something unusual.
“This kid’s got something.”
THE FIGHT
McGregor’s striking looked a level above anything Holloway could offer at the time.
The Hawaiian tried to stand and trade early, but McGregor’s speed, movement and sharp angles caught him over and over.
Whenever Holloway attempted to settle behind his reach advantage, McGregor quickly shut it down with his kicking game.
The commentary team noted how relaxed McGregor looked and how sharp his counter left hand was.
“Max needs to get Conor’s respect,” said Rogan.
“Right now he’s a little confused by all the offense coming his way.
“… I don’t know how many more of these (shots) Max can continue to take — see that swelling on his face.”
However, the fight changed in the second round during a wrestling exchange.
THE INJURY
McGregor took Holloway down and immediately felt a “big pop” in his left knee – an injury he would later learn was a torn ACL and meniscus.
Holloway later revealed the moment caught him off guard, saying the Irishman let out an audible scream.
“He took me down, I had him in half-guard and he was passing,” Holloway said on Flagrant.
“I had his ankle and right when he had passed I hit – that’s how he hurt his knee in the fight, he hurt his knee – and he screamed and went ‘AHHH’.”
“[It was] a hurtful scream. So I’m in there on the bottom holding him. I was like: ‘Are you okay?’ He’s like: ‘Yeah, yeah, keep fighting mate’.”
In the third round, McGregor with his injury decided to grapple and controlled “Blessed” on the canvas for much of the time to secure the decision victory.
“When we stood back up, I was just wobbly on it [the knee],” McGregor said afterwards.
“That’s why in the third (round) I had to change it up and look for the take-down. I’m not happy that I didn’t get the finish.
“I knew Max was a tough competitor and I knew he was going to give me some great exchanges and he did. But midway through the second I got that injury.
“You must improvise, adapt and overcome because anything can happen inside this octagon.”
Later on, McGregor was even more dissappointed that he didn’t put Max away.
“It feels like a loss to me, to be honest,” he said.
“I wanted the finish. I felt the finish was there for me. I injured my knee midway through the second, and I just couldn’t get it out of my head.
“But looking back, I should have just pulled my knee from my leg and hit him with it.”
THE AFTERMATH
The years that followed transformed both men into superstars.
Following a 10-month recovery for his knee injury, McGregor exploded into the mainstream, beating the likes of Dustin Poirier, Denis Siver and Chad Mendes – where he famously apologised “to absolutely nobody” – before capturing featherweight gold against Jose Aldo with the now-iconic 13-second finish.
He later became the UFC’s first simultaneous two-division champ after defeating Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight strap.
Holloway’s fortunes changed after his loss to McGregor, going on a 13-fight win streak – taking out the likes of Charles Oliveira and Anthony Pettis before claiming featherweight gold against Aldo.
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Holloway has never hidden his interest in running it back with McGregor, saying he wants to “get that one back,” even offering to do it “at any weight.”
Now, the rematch is set – and fight fans could not be happier.
Shortly after confirmation of the rematch, ‘The Notorious’ launched into baiting Holloway on social media.
“I’m gonna son you, child. Again,” he posted as a reply to Holloway announcing the fight on X.
“You’re gonna put respect on my motherf***ing name,” he wrote on another post, featuring a picture of him manhandling Holloway.
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Holloway then fired back with footage of himself nearly dropping McGregor with a head kick during their first encounter, writing: “Nah big dog, you’re gonna put some respect on my name.”
And then with his typical chilled-out Hawaiian demeanour:
“We gonna find out Saturday night.”