The Bigger Picture | UFC 329

The main event rematch between Max Holloway and Conor McGregor didn’t go the way anyone wanted or anticipated, with the returning Irishman suffering a knee injury right away and the fight being halted a minute later; more on that shortly.

With Holloway emerging completely unscathed, we have to get a rematch between the Hawaiian and the newly crowned champion Justin Gaethje, right? The two famously faced off at UFC 300, with Holloway closing out a brilliant performance by welcoming Gaethje to the center of the Octagon in the final 10 seconds and laying him out just before the horn.

Replay UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2 On Paramount+

“Blessed” has made it clear he’s chasing two-division champion status, and you have to think that Gaethje would like to get that one back, so from an “it makes sense” standpoint, this one is pretty easy. That said, Gaethje said he’s unsure what the future holds and that he wants to take time to assess things, so we’ll have to sit tight and see what happens.

What will likely get lost in the fervor surrounding the ending of the fight and McGregor’s injury is that this is a bummer for Holloway too, as he missed out on the chance to avenge his previous loss on his own terms, and now we’ll never know how things would have played out had they actually had the chance to fight. Holloway immediately suggested a trilogy fight with McGregor, but that seems like something that wouldn’t be able to happen for some time.

MORE MAX: Max Holloway Answers Questions From The Media After UFC 329

There are other possibilities out there for the former featherweight and BMF titleholder, so it’ll be fascinating to see how things shake out for Holloway and the rest of the lightweight division.

What Could Have Been

The way the fight ended sucked and felt like the continuation of the bad physical luck McGregor has encountered over the last five years and change, beginning with his ankle injury in the third Dustin Poirier fight and continuing onto the toe injury that scuttled his bout with Michael Chandler.

No one wanted it to end like this, but the fight gods do not care about the wants of the masses, and thus McGregor’s career almost certainly wraps with three straight losses, two brutal in-fight injuries, and just one win over his final five fights. Maybe I’m feeling nostalgic and a little sad, but as I sit here writing this in the bowels of T-Mobile Arena less than an hour after the fight ended, I can’t help but wonder what could have been.

Stepping away from the UFC for the Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight always made sense from a business and financial standpoint, but as a fan before anything else, I always wondered how things would have played out over the next couple of years if McGregor stuck around and continued to ply his trade inside the Octagon?

His run through the featherweight ranks and to the lightweight title was one of the best stretches in MMA history, and he was the best fighter on the planet on the night he smoked Eddie Alvarez in New York City. The division was thriving, the options were numerous, and the potential for an absolutely historic run was there — Khabib, Tony Ferguson, and Justin Gaethje were all right there; Poirier was working his way into the championship mix, and Charles Oliveira was a couple of months away from returning to the lightweight division and going on his own march to gold.

UFC 329 HIGHLIGHTS: Adrian Yanez Stops Garbrandt | Luke Riley Gets First Round TKO | Ryan Gandra Finishes Reese

We still got a tremendous run of fights in the 155-pound weight class in his stead, and McGregor eventually returned for some big fights, but I just can’t help but wonder how things would have gone if he stuck around and stayed locked in on MMA.

“The Baddy” is Now “The Boy”

Paddy Pimblett was speaking with UFC.com in the back when the McGregor injury occurred and immediately recognized the opportunity in front of him.

“Well, he’s finished. The new boy is in town. The new man is here!” he said, rightfully christening himself as the biggest star in the sport and the new man to lead the promotion going forward.

MORE PADDY: Pimblett Answers Questions From The Media After UFC 329

And d’you know what? He’s not wrong.

On a night where McGregor and Holloway had massive walkouts, “Paddy the Baddy” had the crowd on their feet, as always, and then marched into the Octagon and put Benoit Saint Denis to sleep in a little over a minute. He clamped onto a guillotine choke and quickly transitioned to a D’arce, sitting back into the choke, throwing his leg over the back, and squeezing until France’s “God of War” was settled into Dreamland.

He’s exceeded every expectation set out for him upon arrival and didn’t lose any ground in his decision loss to Gaethje at the start of the year, and now, as a freshly minted Top 5 talent in one of the deepest divisions in the sport, he’s poised to be one of the most bankable draws in the promotion.

RELATED: See Who Won Bonuses At UFC 329

And as far as what comes next, he’s got options.

If you’re up for spit-balling some ideas, how about Charles Oliveira? What about Diego Lopes if he really wants to move to lightweight? Or if Ilia Topuria is in a place to compete again later this year, do we just go ahead and settle that grudge match straight away?

The Gable Steveson Era Begins

Quick Hitters

Mario Bautista and Cory Sandhagen engaged in a tremendous fight midway through the main card, showing that the difference between the six or seven fighters at the top of the bantamweight division isn’t that great, with Bautista earning a measure of revenge after dropping his debut to the recent title challenger at the start of 2019. With the first and second rounds close enough that they could have gone either way, the MMA Lab cranked up the pressure and output in the third, securing the round and the contest.

King Green telling Terrance McKinney that he had one minute to finish him as the clock ticked down in the opening round is one of the best trash talk moments inside the Octagon since Khabib Nurmagomedov told Michael Johnson he should just give up at UFC 205. The 39-year-old veteran remains white hot, having earned three straight stoppage wins this year and four consecutive victories overall, cementing his standing as a constant threat just outside the rankings.

MORE: Green Post-Fight Interview | Whittaker Post-Fight Interview

I don’t know how far up the light heavyweight ranks Robert Whittaker is going to climb, but he claimed a spot in the rankings on Saturday night with a third-round stoppage win over Nikita Krylov, breaking the Russian veteran’s jaw to end the fight. Whittaker joked all week about the questions surrounding his size and showed here that his speed, technical acumen, and championship pedigree will always help carry him forward.

The challenges are only going to get tougher from here, but “The Reaper” is immediately an interesting name to track in his new surroundings.

Adrian Yanez collected a much-needed victory on Saturday, stopping former champion Cody Garbrandt with a flurry of strikes along the fence after putting him on skates with a right hand to the temple. Connecting with the team at Fortis MMA feels like a quality move for the Dana White’s Contender Series standout, who has now turned in a pair of solid efforts this year after a hard-fought draw with Ricky Simon in Seattle.

Luke Riley had already earned a pair of wins inside the Octagon prior to Saturday night, but he never looked as good as he did at UFC 329. The unbeaten Scouser cracked Kai Kamaka III with a pristine right hand midway through the opening round and chased down the finish, showing for the first time the kind of slick striking and fight-shifting abilities that could potentially help him work his way into the Top 15 somewhere down the line.

POST-FIGHT INTERVIEWS: Adrian Yanez | Luke Riley | Wang Cong | Damian Pinas

Wang Cong has been targeting a rematch with flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko since she arrived in the UFC and did so again on Saturday after thoroughly outworking Tracy Cortez. “The Joker” isn’t quite ready for a championship opportunity, but she’s getting closer, and the shift to doing her training camps at Team Alpha Male should continue to elevate her level each time out.

If we’re making a list of the most interesting UFC prospects under 27 years old, Damian Pinas has to be fairly close to the top. The 24-year-old from Suriname, who trains at Nova Uniao, has won six straight overall, all by stoppage, including posting back-to-back first-round knockout wins inside the Octagon. “The Baba Yaga” has blistering power and called for a date with “Dana’s favorite,” Baisangur Susurkaev, after this one, and I have one thing to say: sign me up.

Farid Basharat maintained his unbeaten record, but the real takeaway from the contest was that John Garza II looks like another young standout to track going forward. After taking the fight on incredibly short notice, the 23-year-old held his own against the more experienced, savvy Basharat, giving flashes of Joshua Van when the current flyweight champ made his first appearance inside the Octagon three years ago.

Ryan Gandra is quickly making his presence felt in the middleweight division after earning a second consecutive rapid win on Saturday, flooring and finishing Zachary Reese. The 31-year-old was a somewhat unheralded contestant on Season 9 of Dana White’s Contender Series, but he now looks like someone who merits a significant step up in competition in the shifting 185-pound ranks.

POST-FIGHT INTERVIEWS: Farid Basharat | Ryan Gandra | Alessandro Costa

Alessandro Costa continued to make his case for inclusion in the Fighter of the Year Top 10 come December with a third straight stoppage win on Saturday, punishing Cody Durden after a second-round slip. The Brazilian has been taking full advantage of short-notice opportunities this year, having logged each of his last two wins as a replacement, proving as always that it’s better to stay ready than to have to get ready.

One Last Thing

Earlier in the week, we got to share a special moment with the family of our late Editorial Director Thomas Gerbasi, who was inducted into the Contributors Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame on Thursday evening.

Various members of our team, as well as stalwarts in our photo department, were able to spend time with his widow Sonia, his daughter Jordan, her husband Jason, and their two daughters — TG’s “Buddies” — Sheala and Olivia, and it was a time I think we all needed. Getting to meet his family and spend time with his granddaughters on a night where his tremendous contributions to this promotion and sport were honored was indescribable and something I will carry with me for the rest of my days.

READ: Thomas Gerbasi Named To UFC Hall of Fame Class Of 2026

Sharing stories, laughs, and tears without ever vocalizing the one thing that united us all in that moment — how much we deeply miss Tom — was a powerful, connective moment that honestly brought me some closure.

None of us ever got the chance to say goodbye, and when he passed, I just shifted into “Just Do The Work” mode, channeling the message my dear friend and mentor told me repeatedly. I pushed through the final three months and change of 2025, receded into a video game he had recommended during the break, and then dove back in as 2026 got underway.