Max Holloway's nutritionist confident ahead of UFC 329 welterweight debut against Conor McGregor

When Max Holloway steps into the Octagon against Conor McGregor at UFC 329 in Las Vegas this Saturday, he will have more than revenge on his mind. The former featherweight champion will not only look to avenge his 2013 defeat to McGregor but also make his welterweight debut at 170 pounds.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest featherweights in MMA history, Holloway cemented his legacy during a stellar run at 145 pounds. After his final featherweight title fight in October 2024, he appeared to have settled permanently at lightweight. However, the opportunity to face McGregor again prompted him to move up another weight class for the highly anticipated rematch.

Can Max Holloway beat Conor McGregor? His nutritionist weighs in

Despite the significant jump in weight, Holloway's longtime nutritionist, Tyler Minton, believes the Hawaiian will adapt well to competing at 170 pounds. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show on Wednesday, Minton expressed confidence that Holloway has the physical attributes and preparation needed to perform successfully in the welterweight division.

"We're going to be cutting weight [for this fight]. Max is a big guy. ... When I post a picture with me and Max, it's always, 'Holy smokes, he's huge,'" Minton said in an interview.

"Max is massive. He's a very large 155er now that he's had time to do this — and you know that a large 155er is a 170er, naturally. So, yeah, we're still going to have a weight cut [for UFC 329], but that being said, it's not one of those you have to fear or worry about. We've been able to focus purely on performance, and say, 'How do we perform better in the next session? How do we recover from the session earlier today and only focus on that?'

"When you only focus on performance for a literal performance athlete," Minton continued, "it makes all the difference in the world.

Holloway has largely enjoyed success since moving up to lightweight. Although he suffered a unanimous decision loss to Charles Oliveira in March, he previously secured notable victories over Dustin Poirier and current UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje. His dramatic knockout of Gaethje was widely celebrated and earned Uncrowned's 2024 Knockout of the Year honour.

At 34, Holloway possesses the experience, skill set and preparation needed to bounce back from his recent setback. According to his nutritionist, Tyler Minton, those qualities also give the former featherweight champion a strong chance of defeating Conor McGregor in their long-awaited rematch.

"There's such a team with Max. It's a family. Everyone has a role," Minton said. "His wife, Alessa, she's doing a lot of the cooking all through camp, and she's making sure he's following the plan and doing exactly what he should do, holding him accountable there.

"Ivan, his head striking coach, is literally a chef. So we're here in Vegas and he's cooking for the whole team. Max can eat that too now. Max can enjoy the same food his whole team's eating right now. Ivan's just making these huge, big meals, so we're kind of tag-teaming [the preparation for this week]."

For Conor McGregor, UFC 329 will mark his first fight since July 2021, when he suffered a first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier after breaking his leg during their trilogy bout. The former two-division champion has been out of action ever since, making his return one of the most anticipated comebacks in recent UFC history.

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