UFC TONIGHT: Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 329: McGregor vs Holloway 2

There are so many unique variables at play in this contest that make it difficult to break down, including, but not limited to McGregor’s age (he turns 38 next week), his fitness after a five-year layoff, and the fact this bout is being contested at welterweight. It’s a fascinating pairing because of their history, individual standings as two of the best fighters of the 2010s (and 2020s in Holloway’s case), and the sheer number of unknowns that can only be answered and resolved once they step into the Octagon and throw down on Saturday and will surely give us plenty to talk about going forward.

READ: Five Years Later | The UFC Awaits Conor McGregor’s Return

Additional Main Card Matchups

Benoît Saint Denis vs Paddy Pimblett

Benoît Saint Denis and Paddy Pimblett clash in the co-main event as the top-10 lightweights look to improve their positions in the title chase now that there is a new champion on the throne.

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Saint Denis has been on fire over his last four fights since joining forces with head coach Nicolas Ott, registering consecutive stoppage wins over Kyle Prepolec, Mauricio Ruffy, Beneil Dariush, and Dan Hooker. The 30-year-old from France is 9-2 in the UFC lightweight division, has earned finishes in all 17 of his wins, and is someone that isn’t talked about enough when discussing the most dangerous fighters in the 155-pound weight class.

Like Holloway, Pimblett opened his 2026 campaign with a loss at T-Mobile, falling to new champ Justin Gaethje in their interim title clash that closed out UFC 324 in January. It was the Liverpool lad’s first UFC setback and halted a nine-fight winning streak, but was a solid showing nonetheless. “The Baddy” is now aiming to secure a re-do with “The Highlight” or another marquee assignment later this year by halting Saint Denis.

We’re going to learn just how serious each of these men are as contenders in this one, as Saint Denis is a relentlessly aggressive fighter with an incredible ability to manufacture finishing opportunities, while Pimblett is ultra-durable and dangerous in every phase as well. With just three rounds to work, expect a frenetic pace, some mad scrambles, and a potential Fight of the Year contender for as long as it lasts.

Cory Sandhagen vs Mario Bautista

The main event isn’t the only rematch on the docket at UFC 329 as top 10 bantamweights Cory Sandhagen and Mario Bautista clash for a second time as well.

WATCH: Cory Sandhagen Fight Week Interview | UFC 329

This is Sandhagen’s first appearance since his failed bid to wrest the title away from Merab Dvalishvili last year and the type of matchup that he has historically thrived in throughout his career. The 34-year-old Denver resident has been one of the best bantamweights on the planet for the last five or six years and feels poised to remain the sentry at the gates of the upper echelon of the divisional ranks for the foreseeable future.

Honestly, Bautista feels like Sandhagen Light — a highly skilled talent who can beat you in a number of ways and put together an outstanding resume, while also topping out just outside of becoming a genuine contender. He had his lengthy winning streak halted last October by Umar Nurmagomedov but got things moving in the right direction immediately by submitting Vinicius Oliveira in February to move to 9-1 over his last 10 and maintain his place in the rankings.

Sandhagen won the first meeting, which was Bautista’s short-notice promotional debut, and it’s going to be interesting to see how much has changed between them once they’re standing opposite one another for a second time. It feels like Bautista has developed more since that first meeting, but how much of that is simply because Sandhagen has been a complete, well-rounded force this entire time?

Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh

Elite flyweights get in on the main card action this weekend as former title challenger Brandon Royval faces off with rising star Lone’er Kavanagh.

READ: Jumping Into July’s Most Compelling Matchups

Royval, who sits at No. 4 in both sets of UFC rankings, touches down in Las Vegas looking to halt a two-fight slide after getting stopped in the first round by Manel Kape in December following his Fight of the Year clash with current champ Joshua Van last July. The 33-year-old has fought ranked talent exclusively since arriving in the UFC and is the type of well-rounded, dangerous veteran that could easily slow Kavanagh’s ascent this weekend.

Kavanagh should have probably earned my votes for being the top fighter of the first half of 2026 after turning a short-notice opportunity in Mexico City into a decisive decision win over Brandon Moreno. It was an especially impressive effort given that just six months earlier, he was out-matched and out-gunned in a pairing with Charles Johnson, where he suffered the first loss of his career.

WATCH: Lone'er Kavanagh Fight Week Interview | UFC 329

Will Royval rebound and show that Kavanagh still has a little to learn before becoming a full-fledged title threat, or can the British prospect earn another massive victory and add his name to the short list of contenders in the 125-pound weight class?

King Green vs Terrance McKinney

The main card action kicks off in the lightweight division where streaking elder statesman King Green faces off with the ever-explosive Terrance McKinney.

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Green probably deserved a shout in those awards too after picking up a pair of stoppage wins in the first half of 2026. In February, the 39-year-old dropped Daniel Zellhuber in the second round of their clash in Mexico City and then in May, he returned to submit fellow veteran Jeremy Stephens at UFC 329, pushing his winning streak to three and picking up his 35th career win in the process.

Gable Steveson vs Elisha Ellison

Hyped heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson makes his first foray into the Octagon this weekend, facing off with Pacific Northwest product Elisha Ellison.

RELATED: Gable Steveson Has Arrived

A highly decorated, Olympic gold medal-winning wrestler with elite athleticism, the 26-year-old Steveson is already projected to become the next big thing in the heavyweight division. Ellison, who trains with lightweight mainstay Chase Hooper, dropped his promotional debut last September to Brando Pericic and looks to score a massive upset in his sophomore showing on Saturday.

Cody Garbrandt vs Adrian Yanez

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Bantamweight gunslingers Cody Garbrandt and Adrian Yanez clash here in what should be an absolute barnburner on the feet until one of them gets dropped or the final horn sounds.

Garbrandt has gone 3-2 since his one-off venture to flyweight, most recently earning a unanimous decision win over Xiao Long at UFC 326 in a bout where the Chinese fighter lost two points for repeated low blows. Yanez competed three weeks later in Seattle, facing off with Ricky Simon in a heated back-and-forth that ended up rightfully being scored a draw.

Luke Riley vs Kai Kamaka III

Cortez landed on the wrong side of the results in her rematch with Erin Blanchfield last November at Madison Square Garden, suffering his second loss in three fights. Wang arrives on a three-fight winning streak and having won four of five in the UFC, most recently out-working Eduarda Moura in February in a bout where both women missed weight.

Damian Pinas vs Cesar Almeida

Dana White’s Contender Series grads Damian Pinas and Cesar Almeida meet in what should be a combustible matchup in the middleweight division.

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A member of the Class of ’25, Pinas turned in an impressive performance in his debut in February, laying out Wes Schultz in half a round to maintain his 100-percent finishing rate and advance to 9-1 for his career. Almeida, who earned his UFC contract in the summer of ’23, has gone 3-2 through his first five starts, most recently landing on the wrong side of the scorecards in a December meeting with another Season 9 graduate, Cezary Oleksiejczuk.

Ryan Gandra vs Zachary Reese

Two more Contender Series alums clash at middleweight here as Brazilian Ryan Gandra squares off with Zachary Reese.

Gandra needed less than a minute to dispatch Jose Daniel Medina and claim victory in his promotional debut, climbing to 9-1 with the win, much like Pinas. Reese, who was also part of the Class of ’23 with Almeida, makes his ninth UFC appearances here, aiming to rebound following a split decision loss to Michel Pereira in Houston earlier this year.

Alessandro Costa vs Cody Durden

Flyweights open the show on Saturday as Alessandro Costa steps in to face off with Cody Durden.

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Fighting for the third time in less than 100 days, Costa tags in for Ode Osbourne looking to collect a third stoppage win in 2026 after beating Stewart Nicoll in April and Matt Schnell in June. Durden dropped a decision in his first outing this year at UFC 326, but bounced back with a strong effort against Jafel Filho in April to collect his seventh UFC victory.