Conor McGregor criticizes fan reactions to Max Holloway’s UFC 226 withdrawal

When UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway was forced out of his UFC 226 co-main event title fight with Brian Ortega, the first question out of many fan’s mouths was ‘who is the UFC going to get to replace him?’ Former UFC lightweight and featherweight champ Conor McGregor seems to have a problem with that initial reaction.

On Thursday evening, McGregor took to Twitter to question the fan reaction to Holloway’s withdrawal. In a Tweet that was promptly deleted, he suggested that the first concern should have been champion’s wellbeing.

He makes a good point. pic.twitter.com/BnknnpTZLR

— Tom Taylor (@TomTayMMA) July 6, 2018

“Everybody asks who can be got to replace,” McGregor said in his deleted Tweet. “But nobody asks what is wrong with our champion?”

Holloway’s withdrawal from UFC 226, of course, was particularly concerning, as he is believed to be dealing with a concussion. Concussions are no laughing matter, and have effectively ended the careers of many promising fighters, such as TJ Grant, Chris Holdsworth and Eddie Yagin.

In an earlier Tweet, which was not deleted, McGregor wished the champion Max Holloway well as he recovers from the injury that forced him out of UFC 226.

My thoughts and my respect are with 145lb World Champion Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) July 5, 2018

“My thoughts and respect are with 145lb World Champion Max ‘Blessed’ Holloway,” McGregor said in this classy Tweet.

Needless to say, McGregor seems to have a good deal of respect for Holloway.

McGregor and Holloway fought in August of 2013. McGregor won the fight by unanimous decision, and later captured the featherweight title by knocking out Jose Aldo. McGregor was then stripped of the featherweight title for inactivity. Not long thereafter, Holloway, who had not lost since meeting McGregor, claimed the title with his own stoppage defeat of Aldo.

What do you think of Conor McGregor’s comments on Max Holloway’s UFC 226 withdrawal? Why do you think he deleted this Tweet?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 7/5/2018.