Joe Rogan: UFC Made a Mistake with Conor's Opponent

Joe Rogan believes the UFC shouldn't stick with Max Holloway as Conor McGregor's opponent for his comeback fight. In July, McGregor made his highly anticipated return to the octagon after a five-year absence, facing Holloway again in the main event of UFC 329. Unfortunately for him, the bout lasted just over a minute after he severely injured his knee early on while attempting a jumping switch kick.

McGregor will now be sidelined for a year while he recovers, and the former two-division champion is already talking about a third fight with Holloway next summer. However, Rogan thinks the UFC should revert to the original plan for the Irishman's return: a match against Michael Chandler.

"Look, if Conor McGregor really comes back in a year, I think he wants to fight Max Holloway. 'I need to finish what I started!' But actually, Chandler was the right opponent for him anyway," Rogan stated on his podcast. "They were supposed to fight, they were on The Ultimate Fighter together, and their fight should have happened a long time ago. Then Conor broke his toe, and that whole story followed. Their bout was long overdue.

It would have been a fun fight. A suitable fight for Conor because Chandler is extremely aggressive and takes punches. But he's tough as nails and a very good wrestler, while in his prime, Conor was one of the best stand-up fighters in history. It would have been interesting."

Chandler was originally slated to be McGregor's comeback opponent, with the two set to face off at UFC 303 in 2024. McGregor withdrew from the fight after breaking his toe. When the Irishman was finally ready to return, the UFC had already moved on from Chandler, who had since lost two more fights. Instead, the organization chose Holloway, but Rogan believes this is an extremely tough test for McGregor even under the best circumstances.

"Max Holloway is a completely different animal," Rogan declared. "Max Holloway is built for five rounds. Everything has to be absolutely perfect if you want to go five rounds with Max Holloway, because that guy doesn't get tired. Period. He's still there in the fifth round, still throwing bombs. Conor is a guy who performs incredibly well in the first few rounds, but his style is so explosive and demands so much energy that he gasses out afterward. That happened in his fight with Nate Diaz. It's happened to him before. The reason is, he tries to finish you. He tries to overwhelm you with all his explosiveness, but if you're still standing when his tank empties, things get tough."

McGregor plans to return next summer, likely during International Fight Week, although much will depend on his ACL surgery and the course of his recovery.