UFC 329 was supposed to be the night Conor McGregor came back from five years away and reminded everyone why he once owned the sport’s spotlight. Instead, the main event ended in 69 seconds, a knee gave way, and the rest of the card had to carry the evening. It did, and then some.
Everything you need to know about UFC 329 as of October 22, 2026 is included in this guide, including the outcome, the whole card, a head-to-head analysis of the major fights, the injury news, how the event was broadcast, and where each fighter is heading now.
One important correction before you read further: many older articles and a lot of low-quality websites still describe UFC 329 as a future event with a “date to be announced.” That is wrong. The card took place on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and everything below reflects the real outcome.
UFC 329 at a Glance: Date, Venue and Headline Result
UFC 329 headlined International Fight Week, the UFC’s annual Las Vegas celebration. The sold-out crowd at T-Mobile Arena reached 20,076, and Dana White said the live gate hit roughly $25 million, which he described as the biggest in UFC history.
| Detail | Information |
| Event | UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 |
| Date | Saturday, July 11, 2026 |
| Venue | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Attendance | 20,076 (sellout) |
| Reported live gate | About $25 million |
| Main event | Max Holloway def. Conor McGregor, TKO (injury), Round 1, 1:09 |
| Main card format | Five fights, 14 bouts in total |
The result was not the one anybody wanted to talk about, but the fallout has shaped the welterweight and lightweight conversations ever since.
UFC 329 Main Event: What Happened Between McGregor and Holloway
How the UFC 329 Main Event Ended in Under 70 Seconds
McGregor opened with a running kick, then tried a head kick, and slipped on both. Holloway pounced briefly on top before McGregor scrambled back up. Moments later, McGregor tried to throw with his right leg and it buckled underneath him. He fell again, and Holloway landed a calf kick as McGregor tried to continue. At 1:09 of the opening round, referee Mike Beltran waved it off.
The injury hit McGregor’s right leg. That is the opposite limb to the one he broke against Dustin Poirier in 2021, the last time he stepped into the Octagon before this card. Dana White told reporters afterward that doctors assumed a torn ACL, though the full scope had not been confirmed that night.
What McGregor and Holloway Said After the Fight
Holloway was gracious but blunt, praising McGregor as an “absolute animal” while the crowd booed the ending, and then immediately pitched a trilogy. McGregor left without speaking to the media but posted on social media that he had no injuries going into the fight and that the knee failure “came out of nowhere.” He promised he would return.
A few days later, McGregor argued the fight should be ruled a no-contest and all bets returned. The result stayed a TKO, because the injury occurred after the fight had already started, the same ruling he received after the Poirier trilogy.
Why the UFC 329 Finish Felt So Anticlimactic
Part of the frustration came from the buildup. McGregor kept his camp mostly private, the hype was enormous, and the stakes in the welterweight division were more emotional than competitive. A first-round stoppage from injury offered neither a satisfying fight nor a clean verdict on whether the 37-year-old still had anything left.
UFC 329 Head-to-Head: McGregor vs Holloway Breakdown
Even though the fight ended almost before it began, the matchup itself is worth understanding, because it explains why the callouts for a trilogy exist at all.
UFC 329 Head-to-Head Comparison Table
| Category | Conor McGregor | Max Holloway |
| Record entering UFC 329 | 22-6 | 28-9 |
| Age on fight night | 37 (turned 38 three days later) | 34 |
| Time since last fight | About five years (July 2021) | Months (UFC 326, March 2026) |
| Last win before UFC 329 | January 2020 vs. Donald Cerrone | Recent wins over Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje |
| Weight class for the fight | Welterweight | Welterweight debut |
| Style | Precise counter-striker, explosive single shots | High-volume, high-pace pressure striker |
| First meeting | Won by unanimous decision, August 2013 | Lost at age 21 |
| UFC 329 outcome | Lost, TKO (knee injury) | Won, TKO |
Who Held the Edge Coming Into UFC 329
On paper, Holloway had nearly every practical advantage. He was active, coming off wins against elite opposition, and fighting at a pace that has historically punished fighters whose cardio fades. McGregor’s best attributes, timing and power, depend on health and rhythm, and he had neither a recent track record nor ring time to lean on.
Holloway’s one concern was the weight. Moving up to welterweight meant giving up size to a naturally bigger man. The ending never allowed that question to be answered.
The 2013 Fight That Set Up the Rematch
The first McGregor-Holloway fight took place in August 2013 on a UFC Fight Night card in Boston. McGregor won by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26), and surprisingly, he leaned on wrestling, landing four takedowns and holding control for more than six minutes. Holloway was 21. Thirteen years of evolution later, it was the reason fans cared about the rematch, even though the sequel delivered far less.
UFC 329 Full Card Results
UFC 329 Main Card Results
| Fight | Winner | Method |
| Welterweight: McGregor vs. Holloway | Max Holloway | TKO (injury), R1 1:09 |
| Lightweight: Pimblett vs. Saint Denis | Paddy Pimblett | Submission (guillotine/front choke), R1 |
| Bantamweight: Sandhagen vs. Bautista | Mario Bautista | Unanimous decision (29-28 x3) |
| Flyweight: Royval vs. Kavanagh | Brandon Royval | Submission (rear-naked choke), R3 |
| Lightweight: Green vs. McKinney | King Green | TKO (punches), R1 |
UFC 329 Prelim Results
| Fight | Winner | Method |
| Whittaker vs. Krylov (light heavyweight) | Robert Whittaker | TKO, R3 1:01 |
| Steveson vs. Ellison (heavyweight) | Gable Steveson | TKO, R1 2:25 |
| Yanez vs. Garbrandt (bantamweight) | Adrian Yanez | TKO, R1 2:47 |
| Riley vs. Kamaka III (featherweight) | Luke Riley | TKO, R1 |
| Wang Cong vs. Cortez (women’s flyweight) | Wang Cong | Unanimous decision (29-27) |
| Pinas vs. Almeida (middleweight) | Damian Pinas | KO, R1 4:41 |
| Basharat vs. Garza (bantamweight) | Farid Basharat | Unanimous decision |
| Gandra vs. Reese (middleweight) | Ryan Gandra | TKO, R1 1:15 |
| Costa vs. Durden | Alessandro Costa | Submission (rear-naked choke), R2 |
The undercard produced seven stoppages across nine bouts, five of them in the first round, which is a big reason the night still felt eventful despite the main event.
UFC 329 Co-Main Event: Pimblett Steals the Show
The best performance of the night belonged to Paddy Pimblett. Facing Benoit Saint Denis, a ranked, high-pressure finisher on a four-fight finishing streak, Pimblett was the betting underdog. He ended it in 52 seconds, locking up a front choke and putting Saint Denis out cold.
Pimblett vs Saint Denis: A Quick Head-to-Head
| Category | Paddy Pimblett | Benoit Saint Denis |
| Coming into UFC 329 | Rebuilding after a January loss to Justin Gaethje | Four straight finishes |
| Ranking position | Lower ranked | Higher ranked at lightweight |
| Approach | Pace, durability, grappling threats | Pressure, aggression, takedown entries |
| Result | Submission win in 52 seconds | First-round loss by submission |
The win put Pimblett back in the lightweight title conversation. In his post-fight interview, he called out Ilia Topuria, a Gaethje rematch, and even McGregor or Holloway, and said he would fight anybody. For the UFC, it was the clean, marketable result the main event could not provide.
Other UFC 329 Highlights Worth Knowing
Bautista Outpoints Sandhagen in a Close Rematch
Cory Sandhagen controlled much of the fight with his jab and shifting stances before Mario Bautista rallied late in round three, dropping him with a left hook and piling up takedowns. All three judges scored it 29-28 for Bautista, who avenged a first-round submission loss from 2019. Sandhagen appeared to hurt his knee during a ground transition, though that injury was not officially confirmed.
Royval Survives a Scare to Submit Kavanagh
Brandon Royval and Lone’er Kavanagh produced the card’s wildest fight. Kavanagh dropped Royval in round two and nearly swung momentum for good, but Royval recovered, took the back in round three, and finished with a rear-naked choke. It was a strong contender for the best fight of the night.
Gable Steveson Wins His UFC Debut
Gable Steveson, the Olympic gold medalist wrestler, was one of the most hyped debutants in recent UFC history. He stopped Elisha Ellison with strikes in the first round. Perhaps the interesting detail is that he did it on the feet, not by wrestling.
Whittaker Makes a Successful Light Heavyweight Debut
Robert Whittaker, the former middleweight champion, stopped the much bigger Nikita Krylov in round three. His post-fight message was direct: the middleweight chapter is over for him.
How UFC 329 Was Broadcast and Streamed
The broadcasting situation for UFC 329 looked very different from older guides, which still list ESPN+ pay-per-view. In 2026, UFC events in the United States are streamed through Paramount+, with the early prelims also simulcast on UFC Fight Pass. The main card began at 9 p.m. ET on fight night.
In the UK and Ireland, UFC 329 aired on TNT Sports Box Office at £19.99, accessible through platforms such as HBO Max, EE TV, Virgin Media TV, Prime Video and Sky. Because the card took place in Las Vegas on a Saturday night, the main event landed in the very early hours of Sunday morning for Irish and British fans, with McGregor-Holloway scheduled for around 4 a.m.
If you are searching for how to watch UFC 329 now, the full replay is available through your regional UFC broadcaster or UFC Fight Pass where available.
What UFC 329 Means for the Fighters
What’s Next for Max Holloway After UFC 329
Holloway has been open about his options. He has said he would happily face McGregor again once McGregor is healthy, potentially next year, but he has also said he wants a title shot in whatever division the UFC prefers. He pointed to his history with lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, whom he knocked out in the final second of their UFC 300 fight. Commentators have also floated Charles Oliveira, who beat him in the BMF title fight at UFC 326, and Pimblett as logical next opponents.
What’s Next for Conor McGregor After UFC 329
McGregor’s path is far less clear. He has lost three fights in a row, has not won since January 2020, and has now suffered a major leg injury in consecutive appearances. He insists he will fight again, and Holloway wants the trilogy. However, a lot of pundits openly doubt whether there is still a desire for another McGregor bout. Any comeback would depend on surgery, rehab, and a genuinely realistic assessment of what his body can still do. A return in 2027 is the most frequently discussed scenario.
What’s Next for Paddy Pimblett and the Lightweight Division
Pimblett is the biggest immediate beneficiary. He went from a heavy loss to Gaethje in January to a statement finish over a ranked opponent, and his name now sits in the middle of the lightweight title picture. A Holloway fight, a Gaethje rematch, or a bout against another contender would all make sense.
UFC 329 Latest Updates: What Has Happened Since
The UFC calendar has not slowed down since July. UFC 331 followed in September, where Joshua Van defended the flyweight title against Alexandre Pantoja. UFC 332 took place in early October, and the post-UFC 329 power rankings continue to list Holloway among the most relevant contenders. A confirmed next opponent for Holloway had not been announced at the time of writing.
Treat any website that claims UFC 329 is scheduled for September, October, or November 2026, or one that offers “fantasy” cards headlined by other names, with skepticism. Those pages are typically recycled keyword content that is not tied to the real event.
Why UFC 329 Still Matters
UFC 329 was a strange event. It produced the biggest gate in company history and one of the most anticlimactic main events in recent memory. At the same time, it showcased a dominant Pimblett submission, a chaotic Royval fight, Steveson’s debut and a smart light heavyweight move from Whittaker.
For casual fans, the lasting image is McGregor’s leg giving way. For everyone watching the divisions, the real takeaways are different. On a nite centered around one man’s comeback, Holloway added another big victory, Pimblett reentered the title mix, Bautista defeated a top bantamweight, and the UFC discovered new narratives.
