Main Card Results | UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 - UFC.com
The UFC 329 main event in Las Vegas concluded unexpectedly when Conor McGregor sustained a knee injury early in his bout against Max Holloway. The fight, which was a highly anticipated rematch, ended at 1:09 of Round 1 via TKO due to the injury. McGregor’s return to the Octagon was cut short after attempting a jumping kick, leading to an awkward landing that caused the injury.
McGregor, who had not competed since a leg injury in July 2021, tried to continue for a brief period. He was seen slipping to the canvas twice, prompting referee Mike Beltran to check on his condition. Despite efforts to persevere, the fight was ultimately stopped after Holloway landed a kick and McGregor took an unsure step back, signalling he could not proceed.
Main Card Highlights
The event featured a series of action-packed fights leading up to the main event. The preliminary card saw seven bouts conclude inside the distance, setting a high pace for the evening. The main card continued this trend with two first-round finishes and several intense battles.
In the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett secured a quick victory over Benoît Saint Denis. Pimblett won by technical submission with a D’arce choke at 0:52 of Round 1. Saint Denis initiated a close-range attack, but Pimblett swiftly countered with a guillotine, then transitioned to the D’arce choke, rendering Saint Denis unconscious. This performance was noted as one of Pimblett’s best, potentially positioning him for a significant opportunity in his division.
Mario Bautista earned a unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen in their rematch. The judges scored the fight 29-28, 29-28, 29-28. Sandhagen initially landed effective strikes in the first round, but Bautista attacked with a Suloev stretch, causing Sandhagen to limp. Despite Sandhagen’s efforts to navigate the injury in the second round, Bautista increased his pressure in the third, dropping Sandhagen en route to securing the round and the win. This marks Bautista’s second win of the year and is expected to place him within the top five of the rankings.
Another notable fight on the main card saw Brandon Royval defeat Lone’er Kavanagh by submission via rear-naked choke at 3:39 of Round 3. Their bout was described as chaotic and entertaining, with both fighters exchanging blows for 15 minutes. Royval, a former title challenger, was bloodied during the fight, as was Kavanagh. After back-and-forth action, Royval secured a body triangle and a rear-naked choke, forcing Kavanagh to tap. This fight was recognized as the ‘Fight of the Night’, with both Royval and Kavanagh receiving an additional $100,000 each for their performances.
Post-Fight Reactions and Bonuses
Following the event, the UFC awarded four bonuses for outstanding performances. In addition to the ‘Fight of the Night’ bonus shared by Royval and Kavanagh, two ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses were distributed. Paddy Pimblett received a $100,000 bonus for his quick submission victory over Saint Denis. Another ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus of $100,000 was awarded to King Green for his comeback victory against Terrance McKinney, where he secured a finish with one second left in the first round after being bloodied.
Several fighters also received $25,000 ‘Finish bonuses’ for their impressive finishes. These included Robert Whittaker, Gable Steveson, Adrian Yanez, Luke Riley, Damian Pinas, Ryan Gandra, and Alessandro Costa. Whittaker’s win came early in the third round against Nikita Krylov, while Steveson achieved a first-round TKO in his promotional debut. Yanez, Riley, Pinas, Gandra, and Costa also secured first-round finishes in their respective bouts.
Despite the anticlimactic end to the main event, Holloway expressed his willingness to fight McGregor again once the Irishman recovers. Holloway mentioned that he would discuss the possibility of a rematch with the UFC, noting the significant hype surrounding their recent encounter. The initial fight between McGregor and Holloway in 2013 saw McGregor win by unanimous decision.
McGregor’s career has faced interruptions due to injuries and other issues. After breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021, he was scheduled to fight Michael Chandler in June 2024, but that bout was cancelled due to a broken toe McGregor sustained in training. His return at UFC 329 was his first fight since the 2021 injury.
Source: ufc.com
