Main fights of the UFC 329 tournament: date, overview and form of fighters

The UFC 329 tournament, one of the most anticipated events of the year among martial arts fans, will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (USA) on the night of July 11-12. The main fight will be a rematch between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway in the welterweight division. The co-main event is a bright confrontation between Benoit Saint—Denis and Paddy Pimblett in the lightweight division. An overview of the fights, the form of the fighters is in the Izvestia material.

The main battle: Conor McGregor (22-6) vs Max Holloway (27-9)

Conor McGregor, nicknamed The Notorious, returns after a long hiatus. The MMA legend is known for his powerful backhand, charisma and sudden finishing. In recent fights, he has shown problems with endurance, but his motivation is at its maximum.

Conor will enter the octagon after one of the longest career breaks among top fighters. He hasn't been in combat since 2021. During his last fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor suffered a leg injury. Recovery required several operations. Conor's main sporting achievements are victories over Jose Aldo, Eddie Alvarez and Chad Mendes. Despite the defeats, fights with Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov can also be called important fights for McGregor.

Max Blessed Holloway is one of the best fighters in the history of the division, has an iron cardio, a huge amount of punches, a winning jab and timing.

In 2021, Max set an absolute record for the organization — 445 punctuated punches in five rounds. He is also the first fighter to hold the BMF titles, the interim and undisputed UFC champion. The key fights in his career were confrontations with Justin Geiji, Jeong Chang Son (a Korean Zombie) and Kelvin Kattar. Defeats — fights with Alexander Volkanovsky, Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira.

In addition to sporting achievements in Holloway's career, he has participated in advertising — this year he became the face of the UFC sports simulator. There is a belief among fans that UFC fighters who get on the cover of the simulator lose or perform poorly.

In the upcoming fight, McGregor will be looking for a knockout with powerful punches and working from a distance. Holloway will try to overwhelm his opponent with volume, movement and control in the later rounds. A vivid revenge is expected. Bookmakers and fans consider Max Holloway to be the favorite (winning by decision or a late finish), but Conor remains dangerous due to the likelihood of one accurate punch or lucky punch and can cause a sensation.

Co-main event: Benoit Saint-Denis (17-3) vs Paddy Pimblett (23-4)

Benoit Saint-Denis (God of War) has powerful grappling, knockout power and aggressive pressure. One of the most dangerous lightweight fighters.

In January 2026, at UFC 325, Saint-Denis confidently finished Dan Hooker with punches in the second round, continuing an impressive streak of early victories. In November 2025, he knocked out Beneel Dariusz in just 16 seconds, and in September of the same year he strangled Mauricio Ruffi in the rear triangle. These fights confirmed Benoit's status as one of the most dangerous finishers in the UFC lightweight division.

Paddy The Baddy Pimblett is a British star, a master of submission, a charismatic finisher with good striking technique. It shows progress and high motivation.

In July 2024, at UFC 304, Pimblett quickly finished King Green in the first round, showing excellent grappling and confirming his status as a promising fighter. In April 2025, at UFC 314, he effectively knocked out Michael Chandler in the third round, winning one of the biggest victories of his career. And in January 2026, at UFC 324, Paddy lost to Justin Gage by unanimous decision in a fight for the interim lightweight title, ending his winning streak.

Both fighters love aggressive style and finishes. Saint-Denis will probably push forward, Paddy will look for opportunities for submission or counter-strikes. Benoit Saint-Denis looks like the favorite (winning by knockout or submission), but Paddy is capable of a sudden finish.

Seriy Volkov: prospects of the Russian's fight for the UFC title remain vague

The duel with Cortez-Acosta turned out to be one of the most difficult in Alexander's career, but victory does not guarantee anything.

Corey Sandhagen (18-6) vs Mario Bautista (17-3)

Corey Sandhagen (The Sandman) is a top fighter in the lightest division with excellent striking technique, a variety of punches and experience. One of the most technical fighters in the division.

Mario Bautista is a rising star with strong wrestling, control and good cardio.

Sandhagen is expected to work in a stand—up at a distance, while Bautista will look for transfers and control. Corey Sandhagen is considered the favorite (winning by decision).

The tournament will be held on the night of July 11-12, Moscow time. The main card (the main stage of the tournament) will start around 04:00.