UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2

UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2 took place on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, NV, USA, headlined by Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway. See full results, round-by-round breakdowns, fight statistics, win probabilities, where to watch, venue details, and the 14-fight card below.

Max Holloway defeated Conor McGregor by TKO at 1:09 of the first round at UFC 329 on 11 July 2026, after McGregor injured his right knee. The non-title welterweight main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas produced a definitive result, but almost none of the sustained competition their rematch had promised.

Holloway improved to 28-9, while McGregor dropped to 22-7. The victory levelled their series at 1-1, nearly 13 years after McGregor won their first meeting by unanimous decision. This time, an injury prevented either fighter from establishing much beyond the opening exchanges.

For Holloway, it was a rebound from his unanimous-decision loss to Charles Oliveira in March, when he surrendered the BMF belt. He had previously beaten Dustin Poirier on points at UFC 318 in July 2025. His No. 4 lightweight ranking remained relevant, but an injury-shortened win at welterweight was hardly conclusive evidence for a championship opportunity.

McGregor's opening jumping kick changed the fight before either man could establish a rhythm. He landed awkwardly, attempted to continue and twice went to the canvas as Holloway followed with ground strikes. The decisive problem was his compromised knee, rather than a clean knockout punch from Holloway.

After they regained their feet, Holloway landed a kick and McGregor took another unstable backward step, prompting referee Mike Beltran to intervene. That final exchange confirmed what the opening sequence had already suggested: McGregor could not continue effectively.

The ending was particularly bleak given McGregor's five-year absence. His previous appearance, against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, had ended through a first-round doctor's stoppage following his leg injury. Before that, Poirier stopped him with strikes in the second round at UFC 257. Holloway therefore handed him a third consecutive stoppage defeat.

Paddy Pimblett delivered the card's quickest finish, submitting Benoit Saint-Denis with a D'arce choke just 52 seconds into their lightweight co-main event. Saint-Denis immediately pursued a takedown, but Pimblett attacked a guillotine before switching submissions and securing the finish. His transition punished the Frenchman's first attempt to impose his grappling.

Pimblett needed that response after losing a unanimous decision to Justin Gaethje in January's interim lightweight title fight. His previous victory had been a third-round stoppage of Michael Chandler at UFC 314. Against Saint-Denis, he beat the man positioned immediately above him before the event: Saint-Denis was No. 5 and Pimblett No. 6.

Saint-Denis was not arriving short of momentum, having stopped Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker in his previous two appearances. Finishing him so quickly gave Pimblett a stronger argument for another leading contender than simply collecting a routine comeback win.

Mario Bautista defeated Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision, with all three judges scoring their bantamweight rematch 29-28. A first-round Suloev stretch left Sandhagen limping, while Bautista's pressure and knockdown in the third proved decisive. The victory also avenged the defeat Bautista suffered against Sandhagen on his UFC debut.

Brandon Royval had to survive a second-round knockdown before submitting Loneer Kavanagh with a rear-naked choke at 3:40 of round three. His ability to switch from striking exchanges to attacking on the ground ultimately separated them. The win ended Royval's two-fight losing run and halted Kavanagh's push through the flyweight contenders.

Robert Whittaker stopped Nikita Krylov at 1:01 of the third round in his light heavyweight debut. His jab and straight right repeatedly found their target before the finishing sequence. The former middleweight champion succeeded through speed and accurate punching, providing a credible first answer to questions about his move to 205lb.

Gable Steveson also won on his UFC debut, stopping Elisha Ellison at 2:31 of round one. The Olympic wrestling gold medallist traded strikes before forcing the finish along the fence, rather than relying on prolonged top control. Ellison nevertheless had moments of success, making this an encouraging introduction rather than proof that Steveson was already ready for heavyweight's elite.

Pimblett and King Green received Performance of the Night awards, while Royval versus Kavanagh earned Fight of the Night. Across the 14 completed bouts, UFC 329 produced 11 finishes, including eight first-round stoppages. The main event's abrupt ending should not obscure how much action preceded it.

Green's bonus rewarded one of the evening's clearest turnarounds. Terrance McKinney controlled much of the opening round before Green regained his feet, attacked the body and forced a TKO at 4:59. With just one second remaining, Green turned a difficult round into his fourth consecutive victory.

A third Holloway-McGregor fight remains plausible, but McGregor's recovery is the essential condition. Holloway called for another meeting immediately after the stoppage. Reporting on 14 September confirmed that McGregor had undergone ACL surgery and was targeting summer 2027, which should be treated as his preferred timetable rather than an announced return booking.

The stronger sporting route towards another title challenge for Holloway would be a ranked lightweight opponent. His March defeat by Oliveira still matters, and 69 seconds against an injured McGregor did little to answer the questions that loss raised. That is a matchmaking assessment, not a confirmed plan for his next appearance.

Pimblett has a convincing case for another top-five lightweight matchup after beating Saint-Denis, but an immediate Gaethje rematch would require overlooking his January defeat. His submission at UFC 329 restored his position among the contenders; another high-level win would make the championship argument substantially stronger.

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Event venue, local timezone, and map details for fight night.

Who won Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway 2 at UFC 329?

Max Holloway won by TKO at 1:09 of the first round after Conor McGregor suffered a knee injury. Their welterweight main event took place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 11 July 2026. The result was an official Holloway victory, not a no contest.

Was McGregor vs Holloway 2 a title fight?

No, McGregor versus Holloway 2 was a non-title welterweight fight scheduled for five rounds. Neither a divisional championship nor the BMF belt was at stake. Holloway had already lost the BMF title to Charles Oliveira by unanimous decision at UFC 326 on 7 March 2026.

How did Paddy Pimblett beat Benoit Saint-Denis?

Paddy Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint-Denis with a D'arce choke at 0:52 of the first round. The lightweight co-main event was the shortest completed fight at UFC 329. Pimblett's victory followed his unanimous-decision defeat by Justin Gaethje in their January interim lightweight title bout.

Who won the bonuses at UFC 329?

Paddy Pimblett and King Green won Performance of the Night, while Brandon Royval and Loneer Kavanagh received Fight of the Night honours. Pimblett submitted Saint-Denis in 52 seconds, Green stopped Terrance McKinney just before the first-round horn, and Royval finished Kavanagh with a third-round rear-naked choke.

Where can I watch the UFC 329 replay in the United States?

UFC 329 fight replays are available on Paramount+ in the United States. Look for UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 in the service's UFC replay collection. The event took place on 11 July 2026, so viewers catching up now should select replay coverage rather than a live-event listing.