​The UFC made a rapid return to the Octagon on Saturday night with UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, coming just one week after the promotion’s White House event. The card was highlighted by the highly anticipated main event: Conor McGregor’s first appearance inside the Octagon in 1,827 days. McGregor hadn’t fought since July 10, 2021, when he suffered a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier after enduring a broken leg. In this event, he faced Max Holloway in a long-awaited rematch; the two had met previously in August 2013, a bout McGregor won by unanimous decision.
The event featured several notable results across different weight classes. In the lightweight division, King Green (36-17-1) defeated Terrance McKinney (18-9) via first-round TKO. The flyweight contest saw Brandon Royval (18-9) secure a victory over Lone’er Kavanagh (10-2) by submission in the third round, using a rear-naked choke. In bantamweight action, Mario Bautista (18-3) earned a unanimous decision over Cory Sandhagen (18-7) with scores of 29-28, 29-28, and 29-28.
In another lightweight matchup, Paddy Pimblett (24-4) submitted Benoit Saint Denis (17-4) in the first round with a D’Arce choke, delivering Pimblett another early finish. The welterweight headliner of the evening saw Max Holloway (28-9) defeat Conor McGregor (22-7) via a first-round TKO due to an injury, ending the highly anticipated clash roughly 60 seconds into the opening round.
The opening bout on the main card proved to be a fast-paced affair, characterized by heavy exchanges and a flurry of takedown attempts. Terrance McKinney controlled much of the round on the ground, while Green faced an early assault and bloodied up quickly. Green managed to finish the fight in dramatic fashion, landing a knockout with just one second left in the first round, bringing his record to 36-17-1 and extending his winning streak to four consecutive wins.
Royval initially appeared to edge the first round before Kavanagh rallied in the second, using precise striking and a crucial takedown to even the fight as it entered the final round. In the third, Royval regained control on the ground and locked in a rear-naked choke, forcing Kavanagh to tap with 1:20 remaining and securing Royval’s submission victory.
The bout between Sandhagen and Bautista got off to a high-energy start, with Sandhagen launching an aggressive flurry of kicks and punches before Bautista countered with an early takedown and threatened with a submission. Sandhagen battled through a left leg injury that hindered him throughout, yet he still outstruck Bautista in the second round. Bautista delivered a strong third frame, landing multiple heavy punches as the judges awarded him a unanimous decision by scores of 29-28 on all three scorecards.
In the co-main event, Pimblett wasted no time in asserting control, taking Saint Denis down immediately and finishing with a D’Arce choke just 52 seconds into the first round, marking yet another impressive early finish for the rising lightweight star.
The night’s main event delivered a dramatic arc that started with anticipation and built to disappointment. McGregor’s return began with multiple slips in the opening minutes, culminating in what appeared to be a serious knee injury while throwing a kick. The referee halted the fight at 0:69 into the first round, halting McGregor’s bid for a comeback and handing Holloway a victory in a fight that never truly got underway.
Overall, UFC 329 provided a mix of swift finishes and hard-fought decisions, underscoring the depth of the roster across multiple divisions. The event reinforced the UFC’s ability to stage a high-profile card with compelling storylines, while also delivering on several entertaining bouts and outcomes that will be remembered by fans for some time.