Conor McGregor (Image Source: Getty)Conor McGregor has made another confident statement ahead of his long-awaited UFC return, declaring that he deserves to be recognised as the greatest featherweight in MMA history. The former two-division UFC champion believes his achievements at 145 pounds have been overlooked despite wins over some of the biggest names in the division.The Irish superstar returns to action against Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas during International Fight Week. Although the rematch will take place at welterweight, McGregor has once again reignited the debate over the greatest featherweight of all time by insisting his record speaks for itself.Conor McGregor says his featherweight achievements deserve more respectConor McGregor is preparing for his first UFC fight in several years as he gets ready to face Max Holloway in a rematch more than a decade after their first meeting. The pair originally fought in 2013 at featherweight, with McGregor earning a unanimous decision victory during his rise through the UFC ranks. His greatest moment at 145 pounds came in December 2015 when he knocked out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds to become UFC featherweight champion. That victory remains the fastest finish in a UFC title fight and is still one of the sport’s most iconic moments. Recently, he posted pictures with his UFC belts with the caption, “the McGregor belt”. Despite that achievement, many fans and analysts place Jose Aldo and former champion Alexander Volkanovski ahead of McGregor in discussions about the greatest featherweight of all time. Aldo is praised for his long championship reign and consistency, while Volkanovski built an impressive title run by defeating several elite challengers.McGregor, however, believes those rankings ignore what happened inside the Octagon. During an interview in UFC 329 fight week, the Irishman argued that he defeated the very fighters who are regularly placed above him. He questioned why his victories are not given enough importance when discussing the division’s greatest athletes.He explained that he cannot understand why he is often left out of the conversation despite beating top opponents convincingly. According to McGregor, the results clearly show that he belonged at the top of the featherweight division, and he believes his performances should carry more weight when fans rank the greatest fighters.The former champion also said his short stay at featherweight should not count against him. He suggested that circumstances, including changes in opponents and opportunities in other weight classes, pushed him away from the division earlier than planned. While he understands why some people value longevity, he believes moving divisions should not erase what he accomplished.McGregor went on to describe himself as the greatest featherweight of the modern era and said he intends to remind everyone of his abilities when he steps into the Octagon against Holloway at UFC 329.Saturday’s fight will take place at welterweight rather than featherweight, where both men will carry significantly more weight than they did in their first meeting. It will also mark one of the final bouts on McGregor’s current UFC contract, although he has already expressed his desire to continue competing beyond this deal.