Max Holloway Calls Conor McGregor 'Delusional' — Conor Fires Back

The Conor McGregor-Max Holloway rivalry was supposed to be settled inside the Octagon.

Instead, more than a month after their UFC 329 rematch ended in bizarre fashion, the two fighters are trading shots again—and this time, the fight is happening on social media.

Holloway has delivered a brutal assessment of McGregor's performance, calling the former two-division champion “delusional” and saying he felt slow and looked old during their brief encounter.

McGregor, predictably, has responded.

And somehow, ChatGPT has even been dragged into the feud.

Holloway Isn't Buying McGregor's Explanation

McGregor's highly anticipated return to the UFC ended after just 69 seconds at UFC 329 on July 11.

The Irish superstar suffered a serious knee injury early in the fight, allowing Holloway to claim the victory.

Following the fight, McGregor suggested that the Octagon surface may have been slippery because of the dry ice and smoke used during the walkouts. He also maintained that he had been preparing to deliver what he described as a “generational beating” to Holloway.

Holloway clearly doesn't agree.

In a recent video, the former UFC featherweight champion dismissed McGregor's explanation and questioned his assessment of how the fight was going.

Holloway said McGregor felt slow and looked old, adding that if there was going to be a “generational beating,” it wasn't going to come from McGregor.

That's a particularly brutal assessment considering the fight lasted barely more than a minute.

McGregor Fires Back

McGregor didn't simply ignore Holloway's comments.

Instead, he responded by turning the criticism back on his former opponent.

McGregor mocked Holloway by referring to him as the “most punched on face in UFC history,” using Holloway's long and battle-tested career against him in the latest exchange.

It's classic McGregor.

Rather than accepting Holloway's assessment, McGregor found another statistic to attack his rival with—and the online feud immediately gained another chapter.

And Then ChatGPT Entered the Rivalry

The strangest part of the latest McGregor-Holloway exchange may be the involvement of artificial intelligence.

McGregor reportedly turned to ChatGPT while trading insults with Holloway, asking the AI who looked older between the two fighters.

The reported answer did not favor Holloway.

The incident quickly became another talking point among MMA fans, with some mocking McGregor for bringing AI into his trash talk.

For a rivalry that once played out almost entirely through press conferences, interviews and Octagon confrontations, the latest chapter is very much a product of the social-media era.

Could We Actually See McGregor vs. Holloway 3?

Interestingly, the door isn't completely closed.

McGregor has already indicated that he wants another fight with Holloway after recovering from his knee injury, with a potential return being targeted for 2027.

Holloway, meanwhile, has also said he would be open to fighting McGregor again—but he isn't necessarily waiting around for him.

The Hawaiian has made it clear that he wants a major fight next, whether that's another McGregor bout or a title opportunity at lightweight or welterweight.

That creates an interesting situation.

McGregor needs time to recover.

Holloway doesn't.

If Holloway gets another major fight and wins, the landscape could look completely different by the time McGregor is ready to return.

The Rivalry Has Changed

When McGregor and Holloway first fought in 2013, McGregor won a unanimous decision.

Their second meeting, more than a decade later, was supposed to answer the question of how much both fighters had changed.

Instead, the fight ended almost immediately because of McGregor's injury.

Now the rivalry has shifted from the cage to social media.

Holloway believes McGregor looked slow and past his best.

McGregor believes the fight never had the chance to show what he could really do.

And with both men continuing to talk about each other, a third fight remains a possibility.

But there is one major obstacle: time.

McGregor is facing a lengthy recovery, while Holloway is already looking toward his next opportunity.

If they do meet again in 2027, it could be less about settling an old rivalry and more about answering a much bigger question:

Does Conor McGregor still have what it takes to compete with the UFC's elite?

For now, the fight isn't booked.

But the trash talk is very much alive.

And judging by the latest exchange, this rivalry may have a few more chapters left.