Having battled two of the sport’s best boxers in Conor McGregor and Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier has given his take on who’s better.
Poirier (27-6 MMA, 19-5 UFC), who’s beaten Holloway twice and split his two appearances against McGregor, has spent a significant amount of octagon time with both men.
After suffering a first-round TKO to McGregor in 2014, “The Diamond” exacted his revenge in January in the UFC 257 main event when he became the first man to knock out McGregor (22-5 MMA, 10-3 UFC).
Poirier also holds two wins over Holloway. He submitted him in 2012, then picked up a unanimous decision more than seven years later when he was able to rock him multiple times en route to the UFC interim lightweight title.
But former UFC featherweight champion Holloway (22-6 MMA, 18-6 UFC) showed he is still at the top of his game when he put on a striking masterclass over Calvin Kattar in his most recent outing at UFC on ABC 1 in January.
And building his own reputation as one of MMA’s best boxers, Poirier ultimately picked Holloway over McGregor as the better boxer. He explained why.
“Conor’s definitely the better puncher,” Poirier said on THE FIGHT with Teddy Atlas. “It seems like Max puts things together and is in position to throw combinations better. I think Max Holloway.”
Boxing trainer Atlas agreed with Poirier and described Holloway’s boxing style as more well-rounded than McGregor’s.
“To Dustin’s point picking Holloway, I think in his mind, same as mine, he’s seen that the guy has more of the complete package – the consistency of all the elements it takes to be a great boxer,” Atlas said.
Who’s the better boxer: Conor McGregor or Max Holloway? Dustin Poirier weighs in
