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UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2, Pimblett's Comeback, and More!

UFC 329 is here, featuring the highly anticipated McGregor vs. Holloway 2, Paddy Pimblett's return, and a big debut.

UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2, Pimblett's Comeback, and More!

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It’s fight day, folks! UFC 329 is upon us, and it’s stacked with some incredible matchups. From a massive main event rematch to a highly anticipated return and a big debut, there’s a lot to unpack.

McGregor vs. Holloway 2: The Rematch

The main event everyone’s been waiting for is finally here: Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2. This rematch has been years in the making, and the anticipation is palpable. Fans are pretty split on who will take it, with a 60:40 lean towards McGregor in one poll. Holloway, ever confident, even declared, “If this guy’s a missile, I’m a f*cking nuke” after their final faceoff. The betting odds are tight, reflecting just how evenly matched these two elite fighters are perceived to be.

Pimblett’s Return and a Tough Test

Paddy Pimblett is back in action at UFC 329, and he’s got a tough challenge ahead in Benoit Saint Denis. Pimblett is looking to get “back in the mix for a title shot,” but he’s facing a betting favorite in Saint Denis. Interestingly, Pimblett ranks 14th in strength of schedule among all fighters on the UFC 329 card, suggesting he’s taking on a significant challenge. It’s a crucial fight for ‘The Baddy’ to prove he belongs at the top of the lightweight division.

Gable Steveson’s Highly Anticipated Debut

UFC 329 also marks the professional MMA debut of Olympic gold medalist wrestler Gable Steveson. All eyes will be on the heavyweight prospect as he steps into the octagon for the first time. His transition from amateur wrestling to professional MMA has been a topic of much discussion, and fans are eager to see how his elite grappling skills translate to the cage. This debut adds another layer of excitement to an already stacked card.

ONE Championship Action: Pacio Defends

While the UFC takes center stage, there’s been some significant action in ONE Championship recently. Joshua Pacio successfully defended his title, silencing doubters with an emphatic performance. This win further solidifies his position at the top of his division. Meanwhile, Eduard Folayang, a veteran of the sport, finds himself at a crossroads after a recent loss, highlighting the ever-evolving landscape of martial arts.

From the community

Over on r/MMA, fans are talking about this: Benoit Saint Denis has staph…again.

Sources

Every source behind today's roundup (14)

We summarize the day’s news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work:

Open Scoring MMA is a daily AI-produced MMA and UFC news podcast. Listen to today’s episode, read the full Feed, or get every episode by email.

Episode transcript

Read the full episode transcript

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA. This is episode 22 for July 11, 2026, your daily look at what’s happening now and next across the world of MMA and UFC.

Alright fight fans, let’s dive straight into the biggest news dominating the MMA world right now: UFC 329 is upon us! It’s fight day, and the anticipation is absolutely electric for what promises to be a monumental card. Sherdog’s live coverage kicks off Saturday at five PM Eastern, and you know we’ll be glued to every single moment. This event is stacked, and the main event, Conor McGregor versus Max Holloway two, is the talk of the town. MMA Fighting is reportedly running live blogs for the top seven fights. You can catch all the action, whether you’re watching on your smart TV, phone, or laptop, as we’re hearing there are plenty of streaming options available so you don’t miss a single punch or submission. This is the kind of card that reminds us why we love this sport so much.

Now, let’s talk about the main event itself. Conor McGregor is making his highly anticipated return to the octagon for the first time in five years, and he’s made some big promises ahead of this rematch against Max Holloway. The big question on everyone’s mind, as MMA Fighting put it, is whether the Mac is truly back. The Body Lock reported that McGregor is actually opening as an underdog against Holloway, which is a wild thought considering his past dominance. Fans are split, with reports indicating a sixty to forty split in final predictions for McGregor versus Holloway two, indicating just how hard this fight is to call now that fight day is here. That’s the kind of trash talk that gets you hyped, and it shows these two are bringing out the best in each other. We could be in for an epic main event, a true barnburner, and I, for one, cannot wait to see how this plays out.

But that’s not the only massive fight on the card. We’ve also got our favorite Scouser, Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, making his return! The Body Lock reported that Benoit Saint Denis opens as the betting favorite over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 329. This is a huge fight for Paddy, coming off his first UFC loss. He’s facing a tough opponent in Saint Denis, and he’s got a lot to prove. Word is, Paddy plans to get back in the mix for a title shot. He’s looking to show that his setback won’t hinder his comeback. He wants to prove he can get back to the top of the lightweight division. It’s a big ask, but if anyone can do it, it’s Paddy. This is a real test for him, and I’m incredibly excited to see how he performs. He’s got that fire, that drive, and I believe he can overcome this challenge.

In a bit of a fun, lighthearted moment, Jake Paul has put his feud with Conor McGregor to the side, at least for a moment, and reportedly placed a massive five hundred thousand dollar bet on both Conor McGregor and Paddy Pimblett in a hilarious parody video. It’s always entertaining to see these guys interact, even if it’s just for a laugh. It just adds to the spectacle of a massive pay per view like this.

Moving away from UFC 329 for a moment, let’s touch on some news from ONE Championship. We’re hearing that Joshua Pacio produced one of the finest performances of his career, choking out Mansur Malachiev to retain the ONE strawweight MMA world championship. Pacio really silenced the doubters with that emphatic title defense. On the same card, Eduard Folayang reportedly suffered a first-round technical knockout loss to Shozo Isojima in the lightweight MMA co-main event of ONE Championship’s The Inner Circle twenty-one card. This puts Folayang at a bit of a crossroads in his career, while Pacio continues his ascent. It’s a reminder that the fight game is always moving, with new stars rising and veterans facing tough challenges.

Now, let’s talk about some fighter status and injuries. We’ve got Gable Steveson making his debut on the UFC 329 card. We’re hearing about the final faceoffs, and it’s going to be interesting to see how this Olympic gold medalist transitions to the cage. The wrestling pedigree is undeniable, but MMA is a different beast entirely. We’ll be watching closely to see if he can live up to the hype.

That’s all for today’s episode of Open Scoring MMA. Make sure you tune in for UFC 329, it’s going to be an incredible night of fights. We’ll be back tomorrow with all the fallout and analysis. Until then, keep those hands up and your chins down.

Before you go, two quick things. Check out our free Fight Tracker at tracker dot open scoring m m a dot com, with every upcoming UFC and PFL card, live odds, and where to watch, all in one place. And follow us on YouTube, just search Open Scoring MMA, for breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you won’t get here on the feed. That’s it for today’s Open Scoring MMA. Keep your hands up, and we’ll see you next time.