​Conor McGregor made his return to the UFC atop a crowded and energy-filled UFC 329 card, which ultimately concluded with a muted finish. The headline welterweight showdown pitted “Notorious” McGregor against Max Holloway in a rematch of their long-ago 2013 encounter that never really took flight. The night, filled with finishes across several weight classes, also featured meaningful matchups in the lightweight, bantamweight, and flyweight divisions.
Holloway (28-9) finally got a measure of revenge against McGregor (22-7), though it came in an unideal fashion due to a knee injury McGregor sustained. Nevertheless, Holloway has now gone 2-1 in his last three bouts, with a setback to Charles Oliveira bookending wins over Dustin Poirier and McGregor. Given Holloway’s momentum, a next-ready matchup against Paddy Pimblett would be a compelling option. Pimblett added another impressive performance by submitting Benoit Saint-Denis with a Peruvian neck tie, underscoring his status as one of the most entertaining lightweights in the division. Both fighters are known for their high-action styles, and a Holloway-Pimblett clash would likely deliver the kind of thrilling, crowd-pleasing contest that fans crave after Holloway’s less impressive showings against Oliveira and McGregor.
Bautista fought through early adversity to secure a decision win over Sandhagen, avenging a prior defeat from 2019. Bautista now sports a 10-1 record in his last 11 UFC bouts, with his only loss in that stretch coming to Umar Nurmagomedov. Although he called for a title shot, a direct path to championship contention seems unlikely given Petr Yan’s looming rematches against Merab Dvalishvili and potentially O’Malley as possible title defenses. A bout against the consistently underrated Marlon Barcelos would be a sensible alternative. Barcelos is riding a five-fight winning streak that includes victories over Ricky Simon, Payton Talbott, and Cody Garbrandt. It’s a stay-busy matchup against a tough opponent that could help sort the division’s top-heavy logjam while letting the contenders figure out the next steps.
Royval closed the night with a tense, back-and-forth war against flyweight prospect Lone’er Kavanagh, finishing with a rare-naked choke. That victory snapped a two-fight skid that had seen Royval fall short against Manel Kape and Joshua Van. In a post-fight callout that made sense, Royval called for Almabayev next. A fresh clash with Almabayev would give the Kazakhstani fighter a chance to notch perhaps the biggest win of his career, as Almabayev (24-3) has been riding a three-fight win streak, with victories over Charles Johnson and Alex Perez standing out. The outcome of a Royval-Almabayev pairing would establish a meaningful new contender in one of MMA’s strongest divisions.
Green extended his win streak to four straight with an epic comeback TKO over Terrance McKinney. A perennial fan favorite known for his willingness to engage in any firefight, Green (36-17-1, 1 NC) continues to bring excitement whenever he steps inside the Octagon. Given his momentum and proven ability to deliver action, a step up in competition would be warranted, and a bout against Dan Hooker would likely be a Fight of the Night contender. Hooker (24-14) has also demonstrated a willingness to push the pace and produce memorable exchanges, making a Green-Hooker pairing a tantalizing proposition for both fans and the division’s rankings.
Overall, UFC 329 delivered a night of notable finishes and compelling matchups across divisions, with several fighters establishing themselves as potential contenders and others signaling the next logical steps in their trajectories.