UFC 329 Results: Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC ends in disaster
UFC 329 McGregor vs. Holloway 2 took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event was part of the UFC’s International Fight Week. The 2026 UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held on July 9.
The event tied the UFC record for the most finishes in a single event with 11 finishes. It matched UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Bisping, UFC 224, UFC 281 and UFC Fight Night: Imavov vs. Borralho.
Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC ended in disaster. He injured his right leg in the opening seconds of his rematch against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. He fell twice and was unable to continue after a calf kick from Holloway. Referee Mike Beltran stopped the fight at 1:09 of the first round.
McGregor limped out of the Octagon without speaking to the media. There was no immediate word on the extent of his injury.
UFC 329 Results
Main Event – Welterweight: Max Holloway def. Conor McGregor
The fight ended in bizarre fashion. Early in the first round, McGregor attempted a high kick but appeared to injure his right knee upon landing. He collapsed to the canvas, clutching his knee and unable to continue. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in and called the fight at just 1:09 of the first round, awarding Holloway the TKO win due to injury.
McGregor had not fought in five years and was returning from a broken leg suffered in his previous fight in 2021. He is 38 years old and has a record of 1-4 over the past 10 years. Holloway won the fight and called for a trilogy bout. He said McGregor was “weak in the knees.” The crowd booed the abrupt finish. The event broke the UFC record for the biggest gate.
Co-Main Event – Lightweight: Paddy Pimblett def. Benoit Saint Denis
Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett came into this fight looking to bounce back from his first UFC loss, and he did it in spectacular fashion. Saint Denis shot in for a takedown early, but Pimblett snagged a guillotine choke, transitioned smoothly into a D’Arce, and squeezed until his opponent went unconscious. The whole thing took just 52 seconds. Pimblett immediately called out Conor McGregor after the win.
Bantamweight: Mario Bautista def. Cory Sandhagen
This was personal for Mario Bautista. He had lost to Sandhagen back in 2019 on just seven days’ notice, and he’d been waiting seven years for a shot at redemption. Bautista came out aggressive, landing heavy shots and repeatedly attacking Sandhagen’s leg. By the end of the first round, Sandhagen was limping back to his corner. Bautista kept up the pressure, even knocking Sandhagen down in the final round, and cruised to a unanimous decision win that puts him right in the title conversation.
Flyweight: Brandon Royval def. Lone’er Kavanagh
This one was an absolute thriller from start to finish. Royval and Kavanagh traded heavy shots over the first two rounds, with both guys getting stunned at various points. But when the third round started, Royval turned up the heat. He took Kavanagh down, worked relentlessly for submissions, and finally locked in a rear-naked choke that put his opponent to sleep. Royval, now 33, bounced back from back-to-back losses with this win.
Lightweight: King Green def. Terrance McKinney
This fight was absolute chaos. McKinney came out swinging, cutting Green open early and taking the fight to the ground where he nearly finished him with a rear-naked choke. It looked like Green was done. But with just seconds left in the first round, Green landed a massive body punch that crumpled McKinney against the cage. The referee stepped in with one second left on the clock. It was one of the craziest comebacks you’ll ever see and an early contender for Round of the Year.
Preliminary Card
Light Heavyweight: Robert Whittaker def. Nikita Krylov
Robert Whittaker made his debut at light heavyweight and it couldn’t have gone much better. He looked comfortable against the bigger Krylov, picking his shots and gradually breaking his opponent down. In the third round, a massive right hook sent Krylov stumbling backward, and the referee stepped in to wave it off. It was a spectacular first outing for Whittaker in his new weight class.
Heavyweight: Gable Steveson def. Elisha Ellison
The Olympic gold medalist made his UFC debut and wasted absolutely no time. Steveson used his elite wrestling to take Ellison down early, then rained down knees and punches until the referee had seen enough. It was a statement performance from one of the most highly anticipated heavyweight prospects in years.
Bantamweight: Adrian Yanez def. Cody Garbrandt
This was a brutal knockout. Adrian Yanez absolutely flattened former UFC champion Cody Garbrandt in the first round. Yanez landed a devastating punch that put Garbrandt face-first on the canvas, delivering one of the biggest moments of the entire undercard.
Featherweight: Luke Riley def. Rock Eater III
Luke Riley came out firing and never let up. He overwhelmed Kamaka with a flurry of punches and knees that forced the referee to step in and stop the fight midway through the first round.
FAQs
Q. Who won the UFC 329 main event?
A. Max Holloway defeated Conor McGregor by first-round TKO.
Q. Why did Conor McGregor lose at UFC 329?
A. McGregor injured his right knee while throwing a high kick.
Q. Who did Paddy Pimblett defeat at UFC 329?
A. Paddy Pimblett defeated Benoit Saint Denis by first-round D’Arce choke.
Q. Did Robert Whittaker win his light heavyweight debut?
A. Yes. Robert Whittaker defeated Nikita Krylov by third-round TKO.
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