UFC 'BMF' Champ Claims Conor McGregor Hand-Picked Max Holloway For UFC 329 Rematch

Former UFC "BMF" Champion Charles Oliveira was well aware of Conor McGregor's return to the UFC, because he was nearly involved in welcoming him back to MMA.

Despite ending Max Holloway's stint as "BMF" champion in March at UFC 326, Oliveira told Action Network that McGregor had a chance to fight him for the strap instead of the eventually booked Holloway fight set for Saturday, July 11, in Las Vegas.

Instead, as Oliveira put it, it was McGregor who opted to rematch Holloway instead of a fresh matchup.

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"He actually asked for the fight to be three rounds and he picked the opponent," Oliveira said of McGregor. "Because, in reality, everyone knows that fight was supposed to be against me, but he chose the opponent."

Oliveira said he seemed unbothered by it, though.

"That's part of the game," Oliveira added. "You've got to choose what you think is best for you. The fight is going to be at 77 kilos. Honestly, I think the first round will tell us a lot."

The McGregor-Holloway rematch could go one of at least two ways, Oliveira said.

"If he doesn't get the knockout or put on a very dominant performance in the first round, then the later rounds tend to favor Max Holloway because of his speed and because he won't need to cut weight," Oliveira said. "But, as I always say, Conor is one of the guys who made history and helped raise the profile of the sport. The arena is going to be packed. It's going to be magical."

Oliveira suggests the fight might be closer than oddsmakers are suggesting.

"I think it's difficult for him to become exactly like the old Conor again," Oliveira said. "But Conor will always be Conor. He's a guy who hits hard, moves well and knows how to sell a fight better than anyone."

McGregor is making his return after a five-year hiatus from the UFC, having dropped three of his last four fights. McGregor began his career in 2013, having a meteoric rise to stardom before eventually becoming a two-division champion by Nov. 2016.

McGregor and Holloway fought 13 years ago, with McGregor earning a decision win. Holloway went on to win featherweight gold while also challenging for the interim lightweight title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 236 in April 2019.

Holloway has a chance to even the score, while McGregor has been given the opportunity to complete a long-awaited comeback.

Something has to give.

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