UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 live updates, round-by-round coverage
Finally, the Notorious One is back.
After five years away from the Octagon, Conor McGregor returns to UFC action as he takes on an old adversary.
Standing in the opposite corner is Max Holloway, the all-time featherweight great who holds records like most significant strikes landed in UFC history. After a suffering a unanimous defeat to McGregor back in 2013, Holloway is out for revenge.
And McGregor? His legacy is on the line. Will he shed the tag of has-been and get back to his winning ways? Or will the former featherweight and lightweight champion eat a devastating loss that dampens his future in MMA?
Keep refreshing this page for live updates and round-by-round coverage of UFC 329’s main event and co-main.
Final Thoughts
The word “anticlimactic” comes to mind. Here’s one more vocabulary term for UFC 329: inevitable.
As in, it’s inevitable for Conor McGregor to be tagged as an icon past his prime. Whether it was his carelessness or the wear-and-tear from a storied career, the circumstances got the better of the Notorious One on this night.
In an interview prior to UFC 329, Dana White said that he had at least five scenarios in mind should McGregor prevail over Holloway. Now, all those scenarios have gone up in smoke. McGregor’s stock as a UFC star who can deliver the goods, has taken a significant dip.
After this event, I have more respect for Max Holloway. As soon as he noted that there was something off with McGregor’s mobility, he didn’t salivate like a wolverine and try to take full advantage of a compromised foe. Even as he tried to mount his offense, Holloway kept looking at the referee, wondering if the fight should even continue.
To the chagrin of the thousands in attendance, and the millions watching around the world, the fight was discontinued before it could even amount to anything. After shaking McGregor’s hand in an act of sportsmanship (and, honestly, empathy), Holloway tried his best to campaign for a third installment. This matchup is at 1-1, and a rubber match is needed to settle the score.
The question is, would the UFC trust McGregor with a headlining position ever again?
That’s a wrap for ALL-STAR’s live coverage of UFC 329. See you next Sunday as we cover a doubleheader with a Pinoy boxing prospect and another UFC event!
Let the Speculations Begin
Did McGregor injure himself after he threw a jumping roundhouse kick at the beginning of the fight? This landing was ugly.
Unless, of course, McGregor was already injured during training camp. At this point, your guess is as good as ours.
McGregor vs. Holloway: Round 1
The 5-foot-11 Holloway is two inches taller than McGregor, who has a five-inch reach advantage. Holloway, by the way, is the -280 favorite in this fight.
McGregor throws a kick but falls to the ground. Holloway pounces. Now McGregor is back up again. McGregor throws a punch and slips again! Even Holloway is befuddled. The commentators are wondering whether McGregor is injured. And now, the referee has waved off the fight. What. The. Hell.
McGregor vs. Holloway: The Ringwalks Are Here
Holloway comes out on the stage with the Hawaiian flag on his shoulders. On the way to the Octagon, he kisses his wife and son. The former UFC Featherweight Champion looks to be in great spirits for this main event.
McGregor is coming out to Biggie Smalls’ “Hynoptize.” Long live the King, and I’m not talking about Conor. The former two-division champion is brandishing the Irish flag, and he’s wearing a rosary as well. He kisses the rosary before he steps into the Octagon.
He’s a Baddy, After All
Pimblett was the life of the party as he walked to the Octagon, but when the fight began, he was all business.
The pressure that he put on Saint Denis was unreal, rolling him around on the mat and keeping that guillotine cinched in.
Impressive win by the Liverpool native. He’s a baddy after all.
Saint Denis vs. Pimblett: Round 1
I forgot to mention that Pimblett’s home country of England is in the World Cup semis too. Interesting. Sophie Cunningham held up the Round 1 card. That made me laugh. Pimblett with an early attempt at a guillotine. Looks like he’s locked it in tight. Now Pimblett is rolling him around. And the God of War has passed out!!! Wow.
The Ringwalks for the Co-Main Are Here
Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett is dancing like there’s no tomorrow on his way to the Octagon. Even while he’s getting vaseline smeared on his face, Pimblett is waving his arms around like he’s at a nightclub on The Strip. His energy is so infectious that Mike Tyson is dancing! Shake it, Iron Mike.
On the other hand, Benoit Sanit Denis has no chill as he walks out. Clad in a French flag, Saint Denis is sporting a fierce look on his face. Just days before France takes on Spain in the semifinals of the World Cup, Saint Denis has a clear goal this weekend: Get the W in the co-main of UFC 329.
The OKC Thunder’s Next KO Artist?
After the Batusita-Sandhagen fight, the cameras went out to the star-studded crowd. Mike Tyson, Anthony Kiedis, and Tucker Carlson were among those spotted.
OKC Thunder center Chet Holmgren was shown on cam as well. Then, fans got a look at Jalen Williams.
Or did they?
That, of course, is Shakur Stevenson, the WBO and Ring Magazine junior welterweight champion. He’s also one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world.
In other words, Stevenson would be a great addition to the OKC lineup. Right?
UFC 329: What Happened in the Undercard?
Leading into the co-main, here’s what has transpired thus far in UFC 329:
Bantamweight
Mario Bautista def. Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision
Flyweight
Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh via submission (Round 3)
Lightweight
King Green def. Terrance McKinney via TKO (Round 1)
Of these three bouts, my favorite fight has been Roval vs. Kavanagh. Absolute banger that went from slugfest in the standup to a devastating ground finish. Let’s see if McGregor vs. Holloway and Saint-Denis vs. Pimblett can top it.
Let’s Point Some Fingers
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham is in attendance at T-Mobile Arena for UFC 329.
You may have seen Cunningham all over social media as her finger-pointing meme has taken on a life of its own. Cunningham, I think, looks like she’d throw a head kick or two at anyone who disrespects her good friend, three-time WNBA All-Star Caitlin Clark.
Another Spectacular Finish
Joe Rogan said on commentary that there’s something about McGregor nights. The energy, Rogan said, is in the air.
I’d have to agree, as the second fight of the main card ended with another spectacular finish.
After a tremendous back-and-forth in the first two rounds, Brandon Royval got the better of Lone’er Kavanagh on the mat midway through Round 3. Though Kavanagh fought out of an arm triangle, Royval stayed patient, eventually locking in a rear naked choke to tap his opponent out.
That was a wild-paced flyweight battle that saw Royval working his right jab to perfection and Kavanah landing some nasty elbows. In the end, Royval’s ground game got him the W.
Rate Max Holloway’s Outfit
The pre-fight attire of the Honolulu, Hawaii native is straight fire.
Will he be on fire against McGregor in the main event? We shall see.
McGregor’s Crowning Glory?
Somebody got a haircut.
Like McGregor’s new look? We’ll see if his crowning glory will be validated with, well, a crowning glory tonight.
At the Last Second…
The first bout on UFC 329’s main card ended with the equivalent of a buzzer beater in basketball.
Right before Round 1 came to an end, King Green got Terrance McKinney up against the cage. With a flurry of hard rights to the head (which McKinney wasn’t intelligently defending against), Green gave the referee no choice but to stop the fight at the 4:59 mark. Ouch.
It was a comeback victory for Green, who almost got choked to submission by McKinney less than a minute earlier. Great start to the main card!
UFC 329: What Happened at the Weigh-in?
Both McGregor and Holloway made weight for their UFC 329 main event. McGregor came in at 170.5 pounds, while Holloway clocked in at 170 pounds for their welterweight showdown.
Ditto for Benoît “God of War” Saint Denis and Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, who will square off in the lightweight co-main event.
And if you’re wondering about McGregor’s state of mind for his UFC return, I leave you with this image.
McGregor Means Money
Appearing on ESPN’s SportsCenter, Dana White announced that UFC 329 had drawn “the biggest gate in UFC history.” According to White, UFC 329’s $25 million gate has broken the previous record held by UFC 306, which was held in September 2024 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
White’s conclusion: “The Conor McGregor effect is huge.” Hard to argue with that.
