UFC 329 delivered one of the most dramatic nights of the year, featuring shocking finishes, quick submissions, and major upsets. The biggest talking point of the event was the highly anticipated main event between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway. Fans expected a five-round war, but the fight ended just over a minute after it began because of a devastating injury to McGregor.
The event also featured an impressive submission victory by Paddy Pimblett, Robert Whittaker’s successful light heavyweight debut, and several exciting knockout performances throughout the card.
Conor McGregor Suffers Serious Injury Against Max Holloway
The main event between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway ended in a way that nobody expected.
As soon as the fight started, McGregor came forward aggressively and attempted a jumping left high kick. However, when he landed on his right leg, his knee appeared to give way immediately.
McGregor fell to the canvas in obvious pain, allowing Holloway to move in with ground-and-pound strikes. Although McGregor tried to continue, he repeatedly lost his balance every time he stood up.
It quickly became clear that he could not continue because of the injury. The referee stepped in and officially stopped the contest just 79 seconds into the first round.
Max Holloway was declared the winner by TKO after only one minute and nine seconds, giving him one of the biggest victories of his career.
Main Card Results at a Glance
|
Fight |
Winner |
Method |
Round |
|
Max Holloway vs Conor McGregor |
Max Holloway |
TKO (Injury) |
Round 1 |
|
Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint Denis |
Paddy Pimblett |
Submission (Choke) |
Round 1 |
|
Mario Bautista vs Cory Sandhagen |
Mario Bautista |
Unanimous Decision |
3 Rounds |
|
Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh |
Brandon Royval |
Rear Naked Choke |
Round 3 |
|
Bobby Green vs Terrance McKinney |
Bobby Green |
TKO |
Round 1 |
|
Robert Whittaker vs Nikita Krylov |
Robert Whittaker |
TKO |
Round 3 |
Max Holloway Earns Huge Victory
Although the fight ended because of McGregor’s injury, Holloway stayed focused from the opening seconds.
Once McGregor went down, Holloway immediately applied pressure with strikes on the ground. He remained patient throughout the brief exchange and was awarded the victory after the referee determined McGregor was unable to continue.
The win adds another major achievement to Holloway’s already impressive UFC career.
Paddy Pimblett Finishes Benoit Saint Denis in Just 52 Seconds
The co-main event was even shorter than expected.
Benoit Saint Denis threw an early kick before attempting a takedown. Paddy Pimblett quickly grabbed a choke and never allowed his opponent to escape.
Saint Denis tried to defend the submission, but Pimblett maintained complete control until the tap came.
The official stoppage came just 52 seconds into the opening round, making it one of the fastest submission victories of the event.
Mario Bautista Defeats Cory Sandhagen
Mario Bautista earned an important unanimous decision victory over Cory Sandhagen.
All three judges scored the fight 29-28 in Bautista’s favor after three competitive rounds.
The victory is expected to move Bautista from fifth to fourth in the UFC bantamweight rankings.
Brandon Royval Completes Amazing Comeback
Brandon Royval experienced one of the toughest fights of the night.
He started well in the opening round but found himself in serious trouble during the second round after being knocked down by Lone’er Kavanagh.
Despite nearly being finished, Royval survived and entered the third round with determination.
Once the fight reached the ground, Royval attempted an arm triangle before switching to a rear naked choke.
The adjustment proved successful as Kavanagh tapped out with just over one minute remaining in the final round.
Bobby Green Produces Incredible First-Round Comeback
Bobby Green showed tremendous toughness against Terrance McKinney.
For much of the opening round, McKinney controlled the fight and landed heavy strikes that appeared close to ending the contest.
However, Green refused to quit.
Late in the first round, he turned the momentum around, landed clean punches, and secured an impressive stoppage victory.
It became one of the biggest comeback wins of the evening.
Robert Whittaker Impresses at Light Heavyweight
Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker made his debut in the light heavyweight division.
Facing Nikita Krylov, Whittaker looked comfortable throughout the fight.
He outstruck Krylov during the first two rounds before increasing the pressure in round three.
A series of powerful punches reportedly broke Krylov’s jaw, leading to a third-round TKO victory.
The successful debut immediately places Whittaker among the interesting contenders at 205 pounds.
Gable Steveson Continues Perfect Start
Olympic wrestling star Gable Steveson continued his impressive transition into mixed martial arts.
He defeated Elijah Ellison by TKO just over two minutes into the first round.
The victory improved his professional record to 4-0.
Even more impressive, all four of his professional victories have come by knockout or technical knockout.
Many observers believe Steveson has the potential to become a serious threat in the UFC heavyweight division.
Adrian Yanez Stops Cody Garbrandt
Adrian Yanez delivered another highlight-reel performance.
After hurting former champion Cody Garbrandt early, Yanez continued attacking with accurate combinations until the referee stepped in.
The stoppage came at 2 minutes and 45 seconds of the first round.
The victory also moved Yanez into a tie for second place in UFC bantamweight history with six knockout victories.
Only one fighter in the division has recorded more UFC knockouts.
Luke Riley Earns Fast Finish
Luke Riley wasted little time against Kai Kamaka.
A powerful right hand dropped Kamaka early in the fight.
Riley quickly followed with several unanswered strikes before the referee stopped the contest late in the opening round.
The performance further established Riley as a prospect to watch.
Wang Cong Breaks Into the Top 10
Wang Cong earned a hard-fought decision victory over Tracy Cortez.
The win is expected to move her into the UFC women’s top-10 rankings.
Her disciplined striking and consistent pressure helped secure the judges’ decision after three competitive rounds.
Damir Hadzovic Scores Stunning Knockout
Cesar Almeida controlled much of the striking during his fight.
However, Damir Hadzovic needed only one clean punch.
Late in the first round, Hadzovic landed a powerful left hand that instantly ended the fight with only 17 seconds remaining.
The knockout improved his professional record to 10-1.
Fareed Basharat Extends Winning Streak
Fareed Basharat defeated John Garza by unanimous decision.
Garza accepted the fight on only a few days’ notice and impressed many fans despite the loss.
Basharat has now won seven consecutive UFC fights and remains undefeated with a professional record of 16-0.
Interestingly, this was reportedly the final fight on his current UFC contract, and he expressed hope that the promotion would offer him a new deal.
Alejandro Costa Secures Submission Victory
Alejandro Costa defeated Cody Durden with a rear naked choke in the second round.
Costa patiently worked for position before locking in the submission and forcing the tap.
The victory added another strong performance to his growing UFC resume.
Ryan Spann Scores First-Round Knockout
Ryan Spann earned one of the quickest knockouts on the preliminary card.
A sharp left hand dropped Zachary Reese before Spann finished the fight with strikes on the ground.
The referee quickly stepped in to stop the contest.
Wrestling Event Creates More Headlines
Away from UFC 329, Real American Freestyle Wrestling also produced memorable moments.
Miranda Morales completed an incredible comeback after trailing Olympic champion Henry Cejudo by eight points.
She eventually won the match 11-8, exciting the hometown crowd.
Arman Tsarukyan also competed successfully but received loud boos from fans because of his ongoing rivalry connected to Ilia Topuria.
The passionate atmosphere suggested that Georgia could become an excellent location for future combat sports events.
Tense Moment at the Press Conference
A heated moment occurred during a pre-fight media event.
One of Umar Nurmagomedov’s associates confronted Merab Dvalishvili before being slapped during the confrontation.
Security quickly intervened before the situation could escalate further.
The incident became one of the most talked-about moments outside the cage.
Dana White Open to Streamer Power Slap Match
UFC President Dana White also made headlines after speaking with popular internet streamer Neon.
Neon expressed interest in competing in Power Slap against another content creator.
Dana White responded positively and suggested that such an event could happen.
If popular online personalities begin competing in Power Slap, many believe it could introduce the sport to an even larger audience through social media and livestreaming platforms.
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