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Conor McGregor’s coach has weighed-in on the outcome at UFC 329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, has squashed rumors of a pre-existing injury going into the Ultimate Fighting Championship star’s Octagon return at UFC 329.

McGregor rematched Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329, but injured his knee in the opening sequence. After he struggled to stay upright, the referee stopped the bout, leading to an anticlimactic conclusion to the fight card.

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John Kavanagh details McGregor’s injury after comeback fight ends early Kavanagh took to Facebook to discuss McGregor’s injury following the defeat to Holloway at UFC 329. The former two-division champion’s longtime coach shed light on the post-fight mood and reiterated McGregor’s claim that he wasn’t injured going into the bout.

“Devastated,” the SBG Ireland head coach wrote in a Facebook post (via ESPN). “That opening jump switch kick was drilled daily for month…

Paddy Pimblett’s comments on Conor McGregor have spark criticism from Josh Hokit. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight Josh Hokit believes fighters are two-faced, using Paddy Pimblett as an example.

Pimblett (24-4) secured a spectacular win by putting Benoit St. Denis (17-4) to sleep in less than a minute in UFC 329’s co-headliner. The main event between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway then ended in anticlimactic fashion, with the returning Irish star suffering a leg injury in the opening sequence, leading to a victory for his Hawaiian counterpart.

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Pimblett remained respectful towards McGregor in the lead-up to UFC 329, seemingly taking a backseat as the Irish superstar drew most of the attention. However, he changed his tune after watching the former two-division champion lose.Josh Hokit says Paddy Pimblett proved exactly why he talks trash Pimblett stole the show at UFC 329, given the unfortunate conclusion to …

Sean Strickland posted a controversial theory on Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 injury. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion Sean Strickland doesn’t think Conor McGregor was injured going into UFC 329.

McGregor’s return to action after five years against Max Holloway at UFC 329 on Saturday ended in anticlimactic fashion. “Notorious” blew his right knee with the first kick he attempted, leading to a stoppage loss hardly over a minute into the first round. Strickland has now weighed in on the Irishman’s injury.

Sean Strickland questions Conor McGregor’s knee injury after UFC 329 loss While Strickland doesn’t want to jump to conclusions, he wonders whether McGregor’s injury could have been triggered by steroid use. He claims to have seen several steroid users’ bodies get fragile with time.

“Im not saying this is it..... but every homie I have that has done steroids for too long their bodies become so fragile,” Strickland wrote on …

Dana White is livid with the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s production team for getting celebrities’ names wrong on the broadcast.

Four-division boxing champion and Zuffa Boxing’s latest signing, Shakur Stevenson, was in attendance at UFC 329 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, when Stevenson was shown on screen, a lower third had him captioned as NBA player Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder. White later slammed the UFC’s production team for the mix-up.

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Shakur Stevenson and Jalen Williams react to mix-up at UFC 329 White notes that his production team, which he is usually immensely proud of, just hosted a monumental event on the South Lawn of the White House last month. However, the UFC CEO believes his production team is the worst in all sports when it comes to showcasing celebrities at UFC events.

“My production team, we just did the White House. We built an arena on the South Lawn of the White House, and it was the …

An apparent knee injury snuffed out whatever magic Conor McGregor planned to rekindle in his first Ultimate Fighting Championship assignment in five years.

Max Holloway was awarded an anticlimactic technical knockout over the SBG Ireland cornerstone in the first round of their UFC 329 headliner on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. A disappointed and dejected McGregor (22-7, 10-5 UFC)—who had beaten the Hawaiian by unanimous decision in their first meeting in 2013—bowed out 1:09 into Round 1.

It was essentially over before it began. McGregor appeared to suffer the injury while throwing a jumping round kick inside the first 10 seconds. He collapsed on multiple occasions afterward, unable to put any weight on his right leg while he attempted to engage Holloway (28-9, 24-9 UFC). It soon became clear to all involved that McGregor was compromised to such an extent that he could not move forward with the match.

Meanwhile, former Cage Warriors champion Paddy Pimblet…

A fast finish and an action-packed flyweight bout were among the UFC 329 bonus winners.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship handed out a pair of Performance of the Night awards and a Fight of the Night bonus, with each recipient pocketing an extra $100,000 over their contracted fight purse. The fight card featured 11 finishes in total, but a couple of bouts concluded in anticlimactic fashion, with the main event ending via an unfortunate injury.

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UFC 329 bonus winners include Paddy Pimblett, King Green and Royval-Kavanagh Paddy Pimblett secured a $100,000 POTN bonus for his submission of Benoit St. Denis in the co-main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It took Pimblett under a minute to put away his French counterpart, sealing one of the quickest and most emphatic victories of his UFC tenure.

King Green also earned a $100,000 POTN bonus following a dramatic first-round comeback against Terrance McKinney. Despite initially facing an early barrage…

Bucking a trend that has become beyond familiar to those that watch the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Paramount+ in the U.S., Dustin Poirier was not featured in Bud Light’s commercials during UFC 329.

Poirier (30-10) was recently arrested at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport for public drunkenness. The former UFC interim lightweight champion threatened to fight and used a racial slur directed at a police officer after being denied permission to board his flight for being intoxicated. He has been charged with a misdemeanor and is currently out on bail.

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Poirier subsequently opened up about his mental issues while addressing the incident. “The Diamond” also revealed that he lost a major sponsor and several business deals in the aftermath of his arrest. There were also rumors of Bud Light canceling Poirier’s sponsorship.Dustin Poirier absent from the latest Bud Light adWhile Poirier’s official sponsorship status with Bud Light is unk…

King Green rallied to upset Terrance McKinney at UFC 329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

King Green is eager to extend his win streak in the Ultimate Fighting Championship after his come-from-behind victory over Terrance McKinney at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.

McKinney started as he always does, marching down Green with forward pressure. “T.Wrecks” came close to locking in a submission, but his veteran counterpart escaped. Green then landed a flurry of strikes to finish McKinney with a second to spare in the opening round.

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King Green’s late-career run continues after UFC 329 victory over Terrance McKinney Kicking off the UFC 329 main card at T-Mobile Arena, Green notched his fourth straight victory. After the fight, Green said that he wants to keep the momentum rolling.

“I told you my activity, and I’m on a roll. And I’m not playing. And I am gonna keep doing this thing that nobody’s ever seen. You know? And I might not be the Conor McGregor or the Max H…

Merab Dvalishvili slapped TF out of Umar Nurmagomedov’s friend 😳 pic.twitter.com/SZsqDOBM9y

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) July 11, 2026

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has accused Merab Dvalishvili of delivering a sucker-punch to a man he says is Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov’s friend.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Arman Tsarukyan believes it was wrong of Merab Dvalishvili to strike a man he says is Umar Nurmagomedov’s friend.

Dvalishvili recently got into a scuffle ahead of his wrestling win over Henry Cejudo at RAF Georgia. He was asked about a potential wrestling match against Nurmagomedov during the pre-fight press conference. “The Machine” dismissed the idea, calling the Dagestani “spoiled.”

A friend of Nurmagomedov was a part of the contingent of Abdulrashid Sadulaev, who lost to Kyle Snyder at RAF Georgia. Nurmagomedov’s fri…

Gable Steveson blasted through his first potential roadblock in the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight division and did so while sustaining minimal damage.

The five-time NCAA All-American wrestler and 2020 Olympic gold medalist excelled in his long-awaited promotional debut, as he swept aside Elisha Ellison with punches and knees in the first round of their featured UFC 329 prelim on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ellison (5-3, 0-2 UFC) bowed out 2:31 into Round 1.

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Steveson (4-0, 1-0 UFC) bypassed a feeling-out process in favor of a tit-for-tat firefight. He tore into Ellison with front kicks to the body and power punches upstairs, all while walking through the return fire. Steveson closed the distance midway through the opening stanza and smashed his fading adversary with close-range punches and knee strikes. Ellison ultimately collapsed under all the punishment.

Meanwhile, “The Ultimate Fighter: The Smashes” winner Robert Whit…

Gable Steveson reflected on his successful Octagon debut at UFC 329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship newcomer Gable Steveson wanted Elisha Ellison to feel “pressure” and “pain” at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.

The U.S. Olympic gold medalist wrestler finished the fight against Ellison via TKO at the 2:31 mark of their heavyweight clash at UFC 329. Following his debut Octagon win, Steveson discussed his intentions going into the bout.

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Gable Steveson’s UFC debut ends with first-round TKO win over Elisha Ellison Steveson went into the contest as one of the biggest betting favorites in UFC history. His performance reflected as much, as he put away Ellison in the opening round. He out-landed his opponent 41-14 in total strikes.

“See, I wanted Elisha Ellison to feel that pressure; I wanted him to feel pain. I wanted to go out there and make him quit,” Steveson said after his win. “And I knew when Elisha Ellison got hit hard, he woul…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Merab Dvalishvili mounted a fairytale comeback in front of his home fans at RAF Georgia.

Dvalishvili took on Henry Cejudo in a wrestling match at RAF Georgia. Cejudo took an early 8-0 lead with a dominant gut wrench and appeared to be on his way to a clear win. However, Dvalishvili came from behind in the second period to close the gap to 8-5.

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“The Machine” then sent the Georgian crowd into a frenzy as he ultimately defeated Cejudo 11-8 on points.Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo wrestling match delivers dramatic comeback in GeorgiaDvalishvili had also defeated Cejudo via a unanimous decision in their UFC clash in 2024. He won the UFC bantamweight title in his next outing and defended it thrice before losing to Petr Yan at UFC 323 this past December.

Cejudo retired from MMA on a four-fight slump following a loss to Payton Talbott on the same card. “Triple C” defeated fellow UFC veteran Urijah Faber …

Luke Riley took issue with reaction to his finish at UFC 329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight Luke Riley was confident that it was only a matter of time before his UFC 329 opponent, Kai Kamaka III, went down.

Riley (14-0) took on Kamaka III (18-8) at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. The Brit took some punishment to his lead leg early in the fight, but needed just one well-timed right hand to floor his foe, also opening up a cut near the Hawaiian’s eye.

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While Kamaka III returned to his feet, Riley was relentless with his combinations, which was enough for referee Kerry Hatley to call a stop to the contest. The stoppage drew some backlash from the commentators and fans online, as Kamaka III was covering up but still on his feet.Luke Riley responds to criticism after UFC 329 victory over Kai Kamaka III Riley believes Hatley saved his opponent from taking unnecessary damage. The Liverpudlian is confident he would eventual…

Adrian Yanez went back to his original game plan at UFC 329. | 📷: Getty/UFC

Adrian Yanez says his coach was instrumental at both keeping him out of danger and finding the finish in his return to winning ways in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Yanez took on Cody Garbrandt in a bantamweight matchup at UFC 329 in Las Vegas. After trading punches in the early moments, Yanez knocked out the former bantamweight champion with a crisp combo less than three minutes into the first round.

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While Yanez was previously doing his training camps between different gyms, he has settled at Fortis MMA in Dallas since last year. He credits his head coach, Sayif Saud, for his win over Garbrandt.Adrian Yanez reveals the advice from Sayif Saud that changed the Cody Garbrandt fight When Garbrandt initially came out all guns blazing, Yanez instinctively wanted to stand and trade with him. However, he then heard Saud’s distinct voice guiding him back to his…

Sherdog's live UFC 329 “McGregor vs. Holloway 2” coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.Follow our live UFC 329 play-by-play coverage with official results, updates and round-by-round scoring with real-time scorecards from veteran scorers Jay Pettry, Brian Knapp and Tyler Treese for each fight on the card. BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Costa (-265), Durden (+215)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:

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Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 3 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round: The Official Result BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Gandra (-130), Reese (+110)Round 1 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian Knapp scores the round:Tyler Treese scores the round:Round 2 Sherdog Scores Jay Pettry scores the round:Brian…

Ultimate Fighting Championship star Conor McGregor has chimed in on the struggles former opponent Dustin Poirier is facing, but not like most may have expected.

During a Thursday appearance on Smash Cast with hosts Chael Sonnen and Ian Parker, McGregor appeared to discuss a litany of subject. In the show, he discusses topics like how he feels competing back at welterweight, whether he will ever meet Floyd Mayweather in the boxing ring again and his former opponents. Notably, the subject of Poirier came up, a man McGregor faced three times and ended up losing the trilogy match to in 2021.

Poirier, now retired, has been open with his struggles keeping himself focused and on task now that he is no longer training to prepare for mutual unarmed combat. In an oft-discussed video, Poirier was filmed heavily intoxicated at the Hartsfield-Jackson Airport in Atlanta in late June and arrested for the misdemeanor of public drunkenness.

I hope he comes out right Sonnen asked Mc…

[embedded content] The Ultimate Fighting Championship sees the return of its biggest star this weekend.

Conor McGregor successfully made weight at the UFC 329 weigh-ins. A rematch 13 years in the making against Max Holloway is now set. All other fighters on the 13-fight card successfully made weight, as well.

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This is the first fight for McGregor (22-6) since 2021, which saw "Notorious" lose two fights to Dustin Poirier. Questions abound if he'll be the same fighter after a nasty leg break and five controversial years away from the sport. The electric Irish striker's last win came against Donald Cerrone in 2020, which took only 40 seconds. The 37-year-old Irish fighter weighed 170.5 pounds for his anticipated return.

Holloway (27-9) looks to get revenge on his fellow mixed martial arts icon after losing a clear-cut decision back in 2013. Since then, "Blessed" has held the featherweight title and scored one of the most legendary knockouts ever over …

Hang on tight.

Manager Jorge Nojikoski posted on social media Friday morning announcing that ex-Professional Fighters League athlete Bruce Souto had been shot Thursday reportedly following a disagreement involving the sport of soccer. Per the manager, Souto was struck in the buttocks by two of the six rounds fired by the shooter while running away.

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Souto was rushed to the Joao XXIII Hospital in his home city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, where he has been treated and is in stable condition. He is expected to be discharged soon and his representatives have already posted on social media calling out the alleged shooter.Bruce is fineA member of his team posted a statement on Souto’s Instagram Stories after the shooting, where they confirmed his non-life-threatening status in the hospital while declaring that they knew who the shooter was. “Folks, Bruce is fine, thank God. He's out of danger,” the post wrote in Portuguese, as translated by She…

📸 لقطات من أول ظهور احترافي لهتان السيف

ليلة بدأت بها فصلًا جديدًا في مسيرتها#PFLMENA10 | مباشر الآن | المسرح العالمي، بوليفارد سيتي، الرياض | تابعوا مباشرة عبر STARZPLAY pic.twitter.com/L8vl0IAoFn

— PFL MENA (@PFLMENA) July 10, 2026

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Hattan Alsaif's pro debut headlines historic night at PFL MENA 10 in Saudi Arabia PFL MENA 10 took place on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the 2026 Professional Fighters League featherweight and welterweight tournaments continued on.

History was made in the main event as rising star Hattan Alsaif squared off against Dania Ouhachi in the main event, the first ever female headliner in Saudi Arabia.

Half of the 10-fight card ended before the final bell, none bigger than Alsaif, who picked up the second-round technical knockout over Ouhachi, sending the Saudi Arabian crowd into a frenzy. Alsaif has been under the spotlight since her arrival in the company, winning all four of her a…

Ultimate Fighting Championship great Alex Pereira is the type of guy to give someone else a present on his birthday.

Two weeks before her title defense at Karate Combat 62—scheduled for July 24 in Miami against Juliana Velasquez—Aline Pereira was surprised by her brother, “Poatan,” with one of the biggest gifts she has ever received. On his birthday of July 7, per sources close to the situation, the current UFC heavyweight gave his younger sister a house in Connecticut, near their training camp of Teixeira MMA & Fitness.

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Gifts that change a life On a since-deleted Instagram Stories post, the Karate Combat champ wrote, “There are gifts that change a life. Today, you gave me one of them. Thank you, little brother, for so much love and generosity. May God repay you twofold for everything you do for me. Happy birthday! I love you.”

The 35-year-old flyweight has bounced back and forth between kickboxing, Karate Combat and MMA since debuting in the LF…

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight king Israel Adesanya is going in a new direction.

Posting a video on his personal YouTube channel on Thursday titled “I’m Leaving CKB,” Adesanya explained that he was doing just that: departing the confines of Auckland, New Zealand-based camp City Kickboxing. The 36-year-old ex-kickboxer has fallen on hard times as of late, dropping four straight, although two of his last four outings were for his old middleweight title.

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The split came effective May 20, per “The Last Stylebender,” who does so a little under two months after losing to Joe Pyfer by knockout in the UFC Seattle headliner. Per the fighter, he needed a fresh start, and most importantly, personalized training instead of being in a room full of top-ranked athletes who all vie for attention from the coaches. Adesanya claimed it had been brewing for a while, and that he still mourns the absence of the team as a main part of his life.I am not c…

Hattan Alsaif (left, 109.2) and Dania Ouhachi (right, 109.8). | 📷: PFL MMA

Professional Fighters League MENA is set to return to action for the first time since May, with the featherweight and welterweight tournaments taking center stage.

Also returning to the PFL MENA spotlight is Hattan Alsaif, who will be making her professional debut in a catchweight bout in the main event.

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This will be the first round of action for the PFL MENA’s welterweight and featherweight tournaments. Outside of the catchweight main event, all fighters made their respective weights and were on point for the 10-bout event taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.PFL MENA 10 weigh-in results: Hattan Alsaif (109.2) vs. Dania Ouhachi (109.8)Hassan Shaaban (170) vs. Hazem Kayyali (170.6)Malik Basahel (125.6) vs. Imad El Azami (125.8)Badreddine Diani (169.6) vs. Yousef Adel (170.2)Wissame Akhmouch (170) vs. Abdelkrim Zouad (170.4)Shadi Kabbani (145.8) vs. Ahmed Tarek …

We now have a date for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s next Noche UFC show.

Per MMA Junkie on Tuesday, the organization is putting together a top-10 heavyweight contest pitting Waldo Cortes-Acosta (17-3) against Curtis Blaydes (19-6, 1 NC). The two will tangle at Noche UFC 4, possibly also UFC 331, on Sept. 19 at a destination still to be determined. This pairing has since been confirmed by other outlets.

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Details still loom regarding UFC 331, Noche UFC dates and locations There remains ample confusion as to the scheduling of this Noche UFC 4 card, as the date of Sept. 19 is also reported to be UFC 331. It is possible that fights on this billing and/or the Sept. 12 show slated for Arizona could shift around depending on the nature of the Noche UFC 4 celebration. Early reports indicated this event could be held at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, but that has yet to be confirmed. Only one other bout is set for this billing, a bantamweigh…

Sherdog.com betting analyst Sean Sheehan has released his best bets for the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship event.

UFC 329, headlined by the long-awaited return of Conor McGregor in a rematch against Max Holloway, features several pivotal matchups across multiple divisions, including Benoit St. Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett in the co-headliner, Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista and Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh.

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McGregor returns, but this analyst is picking Holloway to finish him With UFC 329 fast approaching, there are multiple bouts to look forward to, including the headliner, McGregor vs. Holloway 2. Sheehan is backing Holloway to win inside the distance (+107), believing the former featherweight champion can overwhelm McGregor, who returns to the Octagon after a five-year hiatus.

He also believes there’s a good chance Benoit Saint-Denis (-122) defeats Paddy Pimblett. Sheehan picks Bautista (+125) to pull off an upset against Sandhagen…