The Daniel Cormier Show - DC REACTS to Conor McGregor OFFICIALLY making UFC RETURN vs. Max Holloway

Alright team, it’s Friday—welcome back to the show. I used to think Conor McGregor was done after so many stops and starts, while Chael still believed and we felt like fans burned one time too many.

If a guy vanishes for two years, that fight is as real as a unicorn or the tooth fairy.

Now he’s actually back, and I had a hint before it broke because I’d been hearing things and talking with Max’s camp. I asked Max if he wanted it, and he told me he was already training because this is the one he wants.

Oddly, that recent loss might have moved Max closer to the matchup than a BMF win would have. Conor was unlikely to pick a grinder who could wrestle him for twenty five minutes, so Max at International Fight Week in Vegas made perfect sense and it will be a massive gate.

Conor’s statement thanked fans, praised his coaches, and promised an intense camp while saying he’s better than ever. I love his loyalty to the team that’s been with him from day one.

But being sharper than five years ago after long inactivity is not how sports work. His old peak might still be enough to win, yet I can’t pretend time off makes you better.

Max doesn’t buy any of that; he believes he could have beaten Conor not long after their first fight and he’s even better now. That conviction on both sides is what makes this fun.

Oddsmakers agree with Max and have him as a clear favorite. They’re signaling we should expect a lesser version of Conor.

Still, doubt has always lit a fire under McGregor. People once said he was protected until he slept Aldo and dismantled Alvarez, and he loves proving people wrong.

The sport is simply louder when Conor’s around, even if plenty have copied his bravado in ways I didn’t always love. But on July eleven he must deal with a savage test, and after seeing Nate last weekend, he might have preferred that matchup to facing Max.

For anyone saying the UFC is fading, look at the schedule. Chimaev versus Strickland, a stacked Freedom two fifty, Conor versus Max, and champions like Makhachev, Volkanovski, Harrison, and Nunes mean we might be in an all-time heater.

And a salute to Scott Coker on launching a new promotion. He gave me my start in Strikeforce, and when Scott’s building, MMA benefits.

Thanks for riding with me today. Tell a friend, hit subscribe, set those alerts, and we’ll do it again soon—peace.