UFC 329 Results: McGregor’s Return Ends in Injury as Pimblett and Whittaker Deliver
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UFC 329 featured an injury stoppage involving Conor McGregor and major victories for Paddy Pimblett and Robert Whittaker.
UFC 329 produced several major developments across the promotion, but the night will be remembered primarily for the disappointing end to Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return against Max Holloway.
The latest edition of MMA Brain reviewed the UFC 329 results, several notable stories from outside the UFC and the upcoming middleweight fight between Kamaru Usman and Dricus du Plessis.
Conor McGregor Suffers Knee Injury Against Max Holloway
McGregor returned to the Octagon for the first time in five years, but his comeback lasted only 69 seconds.
The former two-division UFC champion appeared to injure his right knee after attempting a jumping kick and landing awkwardly. McGregor tried to continue, but his leg repeatedly gave out before the fight was stopped and Holloway was awarded the first-round TKO victory.
Holloway recognized that McGregor was injured and avoided delivering unnecessary damage while communicating with the referee. McGregor later indicated that he would require surgery, although the complete extent of the injury had not been publicly confirmed immediately following the event.
The injury leaves McGregor’s future uncertain. He still has one fight remaining on his UFC contract, but another lengthy rehabilitation process could delay any potential return until 2027.
Holloway also leaves UFC 329 without the opportunity to fully compete. A return to the lightweight division appears possible, with matchups against Paddy Pimblett or another leading contender among the options available.
Paddy Pimblett Submits Benoît Saint Denis
Paddy Pimblett delivered one of the strongest performances of the night by submitting Benoît Saint Denis in just 52 seconds.
Saint Denis attempted an early takedown, but Pimblett quickly secured a D’Arce choke and adjusted his position until Saint Denis lost consciousness. Pimblett recognized that his opponent was out and alerted the referee, ending the UFC 329 co-main event.
The victory returned Pimblett to the win column following his loss to Justin Gaethje and immediately restored his position among the notable contenders in the lightweight division.
Pimblett said afterward that he was willing to face anyone. A fight against Holloway would give both men a meaningful matchup while the lightweight championship picture continues to develop.
Robert Whittaker Wins Light Heavyweight Debut
Robert Whittaker also made a successful transition to the light heavyweight division, defeating Nikita Krylov by third-round TKO.
Whittaker connected with a powerful right hand that caused a serious jaw injury. Krylov attempted to continue but quickly signaled that something was wrong, bringing the fight to an end.
The victory gave Whittaker an encouraging start at 205 pounds after spending most of his UFC career competing at middleweight. His conditioning and adjustment to the additional weight will remain important factors, but the performance showed that Whittaker can still compete against ranked opposition.
Bautista, Royval and Green Earn Important Victories
Mario Bautista earned a unanimous-decision victory over Cory Sandhagen after attacking Sandhagen’s leg during an early grappling exchange. Sandhagen continued despite the apparent injury and won competitive portions of the fight, but Bautista maintained enough control to secure the decision.
Brandon Royval submitted Lone’er Kavanagh with a rear-naked choke in the third round, using his movement and experience to overcome several dangerous striking exchanges.
King Green also completed a dramatic comeback against Terrance McKinney. McKinney controlled much of the opening round before Green turned the fight around and earned a TKO with only one second remaining.
Merab Dvalishvili Defeats Henry Cejudo at RAF Georgia
Outside the UFC, Merab Dvalishvili defeated Henry Cejudo in their freestyle wrestling rematch at RAF Georgia.
Cejudo opened the match with an 8-0 lead, but Dvalishvili rallied and scored 11 unanswered points to complete the comeback victory. The event was also overshadowed by a confrontation involving Dvalishvili and Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, a training partner of Umar Nurmagomedov.
Elsewhere, Saudi Arabian fighter Hattan Alsaif won her professional debut by second-round TKO on the PFL MENA card. Cris Cyborg’s retirement fight has also been scheduled against Ketlen Vieira at PFL Tampa on August 22.
Kamaru Usman Faces Dricus Du Plessis in Oklahoma City
The UFC schedule continues July 18 with Kamaru Usman facing Dricus du Plessis in a five-round middleweight main event at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
Usman enters the fight following his victory over Joaquin Buckley, while Du Plessis will compete for the first time since losing the UFC middleweight championship to Khamzat Chimaev.
Both fighters remain within reach of another championship opportunity. Du Plessis already holds two victories over current champion Sean Strickland, while an Usman victory would establish the former welterweight champion as a legitimate middleweight contender.
With the division continuing to change, the winner of Usman versus Du Plessis could place himself directly into the UFC middleweight title conversation.
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