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Words that some MMA fans thought they’d never hear again: it’s Conor McGregor fight week. UFC 329 is this Saturday and features the return of the biggest star in the company’s history.
McGregor faces off against another future UFC Hall of Famer, Max Holloway. These two have fought before, when they were both prospects in the Featherweight division.
MORE: UFC power rankings ahead of UFC 329 in Las Vegas
McGregor won the first fight via unanimous decision and continued his rise towards the 145-pound championship. Holloway went on a heater after that loss, winning 13 fights in a row before losing in his lightweight debut against Dustin Poirier for the interim title.
The rest of the card is action-packed, with Paddy Pimblett making his return in the co-main event against Benoit Saint Denis. While there aren’t any title fights, stakes are still high in major divisions. Here are the predictions for UFC 329.
MORE: Conor McGregor frustratingly reveals next fight date after UFC 329
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Max Holloway (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Justin Gaethje (not pictured) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
It’s easy to fall into the trap of the excitement surrounding McGregor’s return to the octagon. That being said, he hasn’t fought in five years.
Not only has McGregor been out for half a decade, but he’s entering the octagon against an active Max Holloway who has only fought the best in the world and is a world-class striker in his own right.
MORE: UFC 330 fight card: Main, co-main events announced for Philadelphia return
McGregor’s return to the sport is great, and the UFC will always benefit from it. Ring rust is real, though, and Max Holloway is going to show that a fighter can’t sit out for five years and be the same fighter he once was.
Max Holloway via third round TKO.
Jan 24, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Paddy Pimblett (blue gloves) before the fight against Justin Gaethje (red gloves) during UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Paddy Pimblett returns after his interim title shot loss to now Undisputed Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje. Pimblett returns against the always dangerous Benoit Saint Denis, who is riding a four-fight win streak and now looks to jump towards contention at 155.
Both fighters are well-rounded; the feeling is that Pimblett should have the advantage on the ground, while Saint Denis has the advantage on the feet. While Saint Denis is the more technical striker, Pimblett has shown he can take a punch.
Pimblett should be able to close the distance often, and either make this a brawl on the feet with close exchanges, or find a takedown and work from there.
Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision.
Cory Sandhagen (red gloves) reacts after defeating Deiveson Figueiredo (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena on May 3, 2025, in Des Moines.
The hardest fight to predict on the card. Sandhagen will look to get back towards title contention. Seeking a bounce-back win after losing a title fight against former champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Bautista is as well-rounded as they come, but should have a disadvantage on the feet, as Sandhagen is a much more dynamic and creative striker.
Both fighters have underrated grappling skills, which could very well cancel each other out. This fight primarily plays out on the feet, and Sandhagen’s lateral movement and footwork will give Bautista problems.
Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision.
Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Brandon Royval (red gloves) prior to the fight against Joshua Van (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
This has fight of the night written all over it. Both Royval and Kavanagh are fearless strikers who aren’t afraid to close the distance and get in their opponents’ faces.
Kavanagh is the younger, less experienced fighter, but he’s a rising contender after beating former champion Brandon Moreno in his last bout. For Royval, he’s either playing gatekeeper or becoming the catalyst for Kavanagh’s title shot case.
Kavanagh has the power advantage and should be able to keep up with Royval’s speed; this will be a dogfight, though.
Lone’er Kavanagh via split decision.
Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Terrance McKinney (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Viacheslav Borshchev (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Another fight with a chance to win fight of the night; this shouldn’t go past one round. McKinney is all action, whether he wins or loses. Winning 5 of his last 7, all of McKinney’s fights don’t make it out of the first round, win or lose.
Green has the striking skills to match McKinney, but at 39 years old, there’s plenty of reason to question whether he can match McKinney’s speed.
Either fighter could, and probably will, get knocked out in the first round. In this case, the easiest way to look at this fight is to favor the fighter who isn’t 39.
Terrance McKinney via first-round TKO.
Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Robert Whittaker fights against Paulo Costa during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
A new chapter in the phenomenal career of Robert Whittaker. The former Middleweight Champion moves up to 205 pounds. This move is the result of Whittaker’s two-fight skid, and he draws a favorable matchup here.
Krylov has been a ranked 205er for years now and is not as dynamic and precise a striker as Whittaker. Two of Krylov’s last three fights have seen him on the wrong side of a first-round KO.
Unless the jump to 205 is just too much for Whittaker, and he looks tiny in there, this should be a coast.
Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision.
Gable Steveson is introduced before his bout against Billy Swanson in a Dirty Boxing Championship heavyweight fight at The Pinnacle Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
By far the easiest fight to predict on this card. Steveson is the largest favorite in UFC history entering this bout, currently sitting at -4000 on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Steveson is an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, but in his three pro MMA bouts, he has shown off his hands, winning all three fights via first-round TKO. There’s no reason to overthink this; Steveson is going to walk through Ellison, as this is a fight to get UFC familiar with the heavyweight prospect and introduce him as a future player in the division.
Gable Steveson via first round TKO.
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McGregor faces off against another future UFC Hall of Famer, Max Holloway. These two have fought before, when they were both prospects in the Featherweight division.
MORE: UFC power rankings ahead of UFC 329 in Las Vegas
McGregor won the first fight via unanimous decision and continued his rise towards the 145-pound championship. Holloway went on a heater after that loss, winning 13 fights in a row before losing in his lightweight debut against Dustin Poirier for the interim title.
The rest of the card is action-packed, with Paddy Pimblett making his return in the co-main event against Benoit Saint Denis. While there aren’t any title fights, stakes are still high in major divisions. Here are the predictions for UFC 329.
MORE: Conor McGregor frustratingly reveals next fight date after UFC 329
Main Event: Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway (Welterweight)
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Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Max Holloway (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Justin Gaethje (not pictured) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
It’s easy to fall into the trap of the excitement surrounding McGregor’s return to the octagon. That being said, he hasn’t fought in five years.
Not only has McGregor been out for half a decade, but he’s entering the octagon against an active Max Holloway who has only fought the best in the world and is a world-class striker in his own right.
MORE: UFC 330 fight card: Main, co-main events announced for Philadelphia return
McGregor’s return to the sport is great, and the UFC will always benefit from it. Ring rust is real, though, and Max Holloway is going to show that a fighter can’t sit out for five years and be the same fighter he once was.
Max Holloway via third round TKO.
Co-main event: Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint Denis (Lightweight)
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Jan 24, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Paddy Pimblett (blue gloves) before the fight against Justin Gaethje (red gloves) during UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Paddy Pimblett returns after his interim title shot loss to now Undisputed Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje. Pimblett returns against the always dangerous Benoit Saint Denis, who is riding a four-fight win streak and now looks to jump towards contention at 155.
Both fighters are well-rounded; the feeling is that Pimblett should have the advantage on the ground, while Saint Denis has the advantage on the feet. While Saint Denis is the more technical striker, Pimblett has shown he can take a punch.
Pimblett should be able to close the distance often, and either make this a brawl on the feet with close exchanges, or find a takedown and work from there.
Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision.
Cory Sandhagen vs Mario Bautista (Bantamweight)
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Cory Sandhagen (red gloves) reacts after defeating Deiveson Figueiredo (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Wells Fargo Arena on May 3, 2025, in Des Moines.
The hardest fight to predict on the card. Sandhagen will look to get back towards title contention. Seeking a bounce-back win after losing a title fight against former champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Bautista is as well-rounded as they come, but should have a disadvantage on the feet, as Sandhagen is a much more dynamic and creative striker.
Both fighters have underrated grappling skills, which could very well cancel each other out. This fight primarily plays out on the feet, and Sandhagen’s lateral movement and footwork will give Bautista problems.
Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision.
Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh (Flyweight)
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Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Brandon Royval (red gloves) prior to the fight against Joshua Van (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
This has fight of the night written all over it. Both Royval and Kavanagh are fearless strikers who aren’t afraid to close the distance and get in their opponents’ faces.
Kavanagh is the younger, less experienced fighter, but he’s a rising contender after beating former champion Brandon Moreno in his last bout. For Royval, he’s either playing gatekeeper or becoming the catalyst for Kavanagh’s title shot case.
Kavanagh has the power advantage and should be able to keep up with Royval’s speed; this will be a dogfight, though.
Lone’er Kavanagh via split decision.
King Green vs Terrance McKinney (Lightweight)
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Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Terrance McKinney (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Viacheslav Borshchev (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
Another fight with a chance to win fight of the night; this shouldn’t go past one round. McKinney is all action, whether he wins or loses. Winning 5 of his last 7, all of McKinney’s fights don’t make it out of the first round, win or lose.
Green has the striking skills to match McKinney, but at 39 years old, there’s plenty of reason to question whether he can match McKinney’s speed.
Either fighter could, and probably will, get knocked out in the first round. In this case, the easiest way to look at this fight is to favor the fighter who isn’t 39.
Terrance McKinney via first-round TKO.
Robert Whittaker vs Nikita Krylov (Light Heavyweight)
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Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Robert Whittaker fights against Paulo Costa during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
A new chapter in the phenomenal career of Robert Whittaker. The former Middleweight Champion moves up to 205 pounds. This move is the result of Whittaker’s two-fight skid, and he draws a favorable matchup here.
Krylov has been a ranked 205er for years now and is not as dynamic and precise a striker as Whittaker. Two of Krylov’s last three fights have seen him on the wrong side of a first-round KO.
Unless the jump to 205 is just too much for Whittaker, and he looks tiny in there, this should be a coast.
Robert Whittaker via unanimous decision.
Gable Steveson vs Elisha Ellison (Heavyweight)
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Gable Steveson is introduced before his bout against Billy Swanson in a Dirty Boxing Championship heavyweight fight at The Pinnacle Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
By far the easiest fight to predict on this card. Steveson is the largest favorite in UFC history entering this bout, currently sitting at -4000 on FanDuel Sportsbook.
Steveson is an Olympic gold medalist in wrestling, but in his three pro MMA bouts, he has shown off his hands, winning all three fights via first-round TKO. There’s no reason to overthink this; Steveson is going to walk through Ellison, as this is a fight to get UFC familiar with the heavyweight prospect and introduce him as a future player in the division.
Gable Steveson via first round TKO.
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