Conor McGregor is finally set to return to the UFC after five years away from the sport, but not everyone is convinced the former two-division champion can pick up where he left off. Ahead of his UFC 329 main event against Max Holloway on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez has shared doubts about McGregor's chances of making a successful comeback.
Eddie Alvarez's Concerns About McGregor's Layoff
Speaking on Full Send MMA, Alvarez said the biggest challenge is not McGregor's talent but the amount of time he has spent away from active competition. While he admitted that McGregor has always had a unique mindset and work ethic, Alvarez believes returning after such a long break against an active fighter like Holloway could be a very difficult task.
Alvarez, who lost to McGregor at UFC 205 in 2016, explained why he believes fighting is different from many other professions. According to him, being a fighter requires complete dedication over a long period of time.
"This is how I feel about fighting, you say there's a universal law of fighting, the universal law of fighting is: you can't put it down and pick it up whenever you want. You're either in this life or you're not. It's not something you can just pick up and put down. You are a fighter, and it takes years to become that character, and once you get out of that character, it's very difficult to get back into it."
McGregor's Opponent: Max Holloway
Alvarez also pointed to the opponent McGregor will face in his comeback fight. Although McGregor defeated Holloway in 2013, both fighters have changed significantly since then. While McGregor has not competed in five years, Holloway has remained active and continued facing some of the toughest opponents in mixed martial arts.
"I think if anybody can make a comeback and have the obsessiveness and stuff, Conor's the guy to do it. But I just think he's been too far out of that character to come back against a guy who has been active, he's been in that character, he's been getting big, big fights. I just think it might be too much too soon."
A Potential Advantage for McGregor
Still, Alvarez sees one important advantage for McGregor. He believes the matchup suits McGregor's preferred fighting style.
"The only plus side I see, is Conor picked the perfect matchup, the most comfortable matchup, where he knows where he wants the fight to go. Conor wants a boxing, stand-up fight, and he almost guaranteed himself a boxing, stand-up fight picking Max as an opponent. This is going to be a boxing fight with MMA gloves, and that's where Conor's most comfortable."
