Max Holloway says he is willing to fight Conor McGregor in 2026 if the Irishman follows through on stated interest in the matchup, but acknowledges that what UFC ultimately wants is unclear. Holloway has also indicated he is open to competing for a title, naming Justin Gaethje or Islam Makhachev as potential championship opponents. He also addressed friction with the 170-pound champion's camp, insisting his earlier comments were not disrespectful and that many people were already thinking the same thing.
Max Holloway has laid out a crowded wish list of potential opponents for 2026, expressing openness to fighting Conor McGregor, lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, or welterweight champion Islam Makhachev depending on what direction the UFC chooses to go.
Holloway, ranked fourth at lightweight and ninth in the pound-for-pound standings, said he would welcome a clash with McGregor if the Irishman is serious about pursuing the matchup he has publicly floated. The 34-year-old Hawaiian acknowledged, however, that what the promotion ultimately wants from him remains unclear. Carrying a 28-9 record, Holloway is one of the most relentless volume strikers in the sport, landing nearly seven significant strikes per minute with 48 percent accuracy across his career. Despite competing primarily at lightweight in recent years, his path forward appears wide open.
Gaethje, the current lightweight champion at 37 years old, sits at 28-5 and brings an equally aggressive striking game — landing 6.48 significant strikes per minute at a sharp 58 percent accuracy rate. A Holloway-Gaethje matchup would pit two of the division's most prolific stand-up fighters against each other with the 155-pound title on the line.
Makhachev, the welterweight champion, represents a very different challenge. The 34-year-old Russian holds a 29-1 record and leads with a grappling-first approach, averaging 3.22 takedowns per 15 minutes with a 58 percent striking accuracy that reflects his efficiency rather than volume. Holloway venturing up to 170 pounds for a title shot would be a significant step.
Holloway also addressed tension with the welterweight champion's camp, maintaining that his earlier remarks were not intended as disrespect and that many others shared the same sentiment.
Why it matters
- Holloway at fourth in the lightweight rankings is a natural title contender if Gaethje's next defense is undecided
- A Holloway-McGregor fight would be a marquee pay-per-view matchup, though McGregor's participation in any bout remains unconfirmed
- Moving up to face Makhachev would mark Holloway's second different weight class for a world title attempt
- The friction with the welterweight camp hints at a broader political dimension that could influence matchmaking
