Dvalishvili backs McGregor over Holloway in 13-years-in-the-making UFC 329 rematch

Former UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili has thrown his support behind Conor McGregor ahead of UFC 329 on Saturday, July 11, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — picking the Irishman to defeat Max Holloway in a rematch 13 years in the making.

Dvalishvili shared his predictions for four of the five main card bouts in a video posted on X, covering the main event, the co-main, and two further undercard matchups.

On the McGregor-Holloway headline bout, “The Machine” was candid about where his loyalties lie. “I love Conor McGregor so much, and I have so much respect for Max Holloway,” Dvalishvili said. “I want to see Conor McGregor win because he’s been away from fighting for a long time and he’s done so much for the sport, and he deserves to win this time. Yeah, I am rooting for Conor McGregor a little more.”

In the co-main event, Dvalishvili picked Benoit St. Denis to defeat Paddy Pimblett, a matchup that has drawn considerable attention given Pimblett’s profile and vocal fanbase.

Further down the card, the Georgian sided with Brandon Royval over Lone’er Kavanagh in the flyweight contest. He also offered a pick in the bantamweight clash between Cory Sandhagen and Mario Bautista, saying: “It’s gonna be a great fight between Cory Sandhagen and Mario Bautista, but I have to go with Cory Sandhagen.”

Dvalishvili did not offer a prediction for the fifth main card bout. UFC 329 takes place this Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.