Recap · UFC
Max Holloway Stops Conor McGregor in First Round to Headline UFC 329 Recap
By Frankie Moss — Frankie covers the news the market overreacts to: injuries, scratches, trade chatter. He makes a living on the other side of the panic. If the whole betting world leans one way after a headline, Frankie is already looking at the fade.
Max Holloway needed just 1:09 to settle the score. The main event of UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena saw Holloway stop Conor McGregor by KO/TKO in the first round, closing as a -395 favorite while McGregor entered at +280. The abrupt ending fueled immediate speculation that something was off with McGregor, with some suggesting he may have been carrying an injury into the fight. Others pointed to the opening seconds themselves, wondering whether he tweaked something on the very first kick he threw, moments into the round, and was never right afterward.
Five first-round finishes lit up the board, starting with Paddy Pimblett's 52-second submission of Benoît Saint Denis. Gable Steveson followed with a KO/TKO of Elisha Ellison at 2:31, closing at -1150. Adrian Yañez stopped Cody Garbrandt in 2:47, and Ryan Gandra finished Zach Reese in 1:15, closing at -135. Robert Whittaker added a third-round KO/TKO of Nikita Krylov at 1:01, while Damian Pinas stopped Cesar Almeida in the first round at 4:44, closing at -270.
Elsewhere on the undercard, decisions ruled the deeper fights. Mario Bautista took a three-round nod over Cory Sandhagen in bantamweight action. Farid Basharat did the same against John Garza. Wang Cong outworked Tracy Cortez in a women's flyweight decision. Brandon Royval submitted Lone'er Kavanagh in round 3 at 3:40, and Alessandro Costa submitted Cody Durden in round 2 at 2:19, closing at -500. King Green stopped Terrance McKinney in the first round at 4:59, and Luke Riley finished Kai Kamaka III in round 1 at 3:03, closing at -265.
The quick finishes dominated the narrative. Seven of the 14 fights ended inside the distance, with five of those in the first round. The main event delivered the headline, but the depth of the card produced several moments that will shape future matchmaking.
The Play
- Max Holloway def. Conor McGregor (KO/TKO, R1 1:09)
- Paddy Pimblett def. Benoît Saint Denis (Submission, R1 0:52)
- Gable Steveson def. Elisha Ellison (KO/TKO, R1 2:31)
UFC 329 was a night of fast finishes and a definitive statement from Holloway. The welterweight division has a new name to reckon with.