Arman Tsarukyan believes that a possible return of Conor McGregor against Max Holloway would be a stylistically favorable fight for the former Irish champion. His opinion is based on the image left by Holloway in his defense of the BMF belt against Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 326, a performance that led him to conclude that the Hawaiian is no longer at the level he showed during his best years inside the octagon.
According to Tsarukyan, Holloway's last performance was especially worrying because of the ease with which Oliveira managed to impose his fight. In his assessment, the most striking fact was not only the defeat, but the way in which he was neutralized during the five rounds. He considers that Holloway was dominated very clearly, gave up knockdowns too easily and did not find answers to stop his opponent's control.
That reading leads him to be very the current moment of the former featherweight champion. Tsarukyan maintains that Holloway is no longer the fighter he used to be and slips that he faces the final stage of his career, more focused on securing good purses than on remaining a dominant top-level figure. He also points out that, in his opinion, he has between three and four fights left before retiring.
The context of the debate arises from rumors about a possible second confrontation between McGregor and Holloway, thought of as a comeback fight for the Irishman, with an eye on this summer. Tsarukyan understands that this pairing fits well for McGregor for style reasons, especially if the current version of Holloway is the one seen recently. His argument is not to extol McGregor's best sporting moment, but to insist that Holloway's drop in level would be enough to make him vulnerable in that crossover.
The information also recalls that McGregor arrives surrounded by important unknowns. He has not competed for almost five years and has not won a fight for more than six, an inactivity that inevitably conditions any serious analysis of his return. Even so, Tsarukyan remains confident that he would have clear options against Holloway if the rematch finally takes place.
In parallel, it is stressed that Holloway recently settled in lightweight after losing the featherweight belt in his attempt against Ilia Topuria in UFC 308. Although he is only 34 years old, he also has a very long professional career, of more than fifteen years competing at the highest level. For Tsarukyan, that accumulation of wars and time in the elite is beginning to be noticed.
Beyond Holloway, Tsarukyan took the opportunity to launch a broader message about the future of the lightweight division. He believes that a generational change is coming and places himself at the center of that change, assuring that he will soon be the king of the category and that new names will arrive with force. In that sense, his analysis of Holloway not only works as an opinion on a possible fight with McGregor, but also as a declaration of intent on how he sees the present and immediate future of one of the most competitive divisions in the sport.