Max Holloway training with Jack Della Maddalena ahead of McGregor bout at UFC 329

Max Holloway has brought welterweight contender Jack Della Maddalena into his training camp as he prepares to face Conor McGregor at UFC 329 on July 11.

Holloway, 34, enters the bout ranked fourth in the lightweight division and ninth on the pound-for-pound list, carrying a 27-9 record. The Hawaii native trains out of Gracie Technics and is one of the most prolific strikers in the sport, averaging 7.2 significant strikes landed per minute at 48 percent accuracy. He stands five-foot-eleven with a 69-inch reach.

Della Maddalena, 29, is the fourth-ranked welterweight and sits 13th pound-for-pound with an 18-4 record. The Australian, who trains at Scrappy MMA, brings a switch stance and a 73-inch reach to the partnership — four inches longer than Holloway's — along with a 51 percent striking accuracy rate and 5.57 significant strikes per minute. His presence in camp gives Holloway a sharp, high-level striker to sharpen his standup ahead of fight night.

McGregor, 37, comes in at 22-6 and represents a notably southpaw problem at five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach. Fighting out of SBG Ireland, the Irishman averages 5.32 significant strikes per minute and posts a 49 percent striking accuracy, while also showing more takedown activity than either of his July 11 opponents, at 0.67 attempts per 15 minutes.

Why it matters

• Holloway adding a ranked welterweight southpaw to camp suggests a focused effort on preparing for McGregor's left-hand power and unorthodox angles
• Della Maddalena's longer reach and switch-stance versatility make him a useful stylistic surrogate for the McGregor threat
• A win for Holloway over McGregor would carry significant implications for his lightweight ranking at number four, while McGregor's return result will shape the division's contender picture