On Friday, Conor McGregor and Max Holloway successfully tipped the scales at the weigh-in for UFC 329, one day before their Las Vegas main event.
The Irishman and Holloway will clash at welterweight, 13 years after McGregor outpointed the Hawaiian at featherweight, and five years after McGregor last fought.
In his last fight, McGregor sustained a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier, before a broken toe ruled him out of a 2024 bout with Michael Chandler on two weeks’ notice. 2024 was also marred by a civil court case in which a jury found McGregor, 37, liable for rape in 2018. McGregor continues to deny the allegations against him, although his appeal against the verdict failed.
Against Holloway, McGregor meets a fellow former world champion, considered by many to be an all-time great. Both men held featherweight gold, while McGregor went on to win the lightweight belt before dabbling at 170lb. Holloway has also fought at lightweight, but Saturday marks his welterweight debut.
Follow all the build to UFC 329, below:
Read MoreConor McGregor vs Max Holloway: Start time, card and how to watch UFC 329 fight
The candid Conor McGregor admission that shows time is running out on UFC career
UFC 329 weigh-in LIVE
- Conor McGregor and Max Holloway both make weight before UFC 329 fight
- UFC 329 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night
- McGregor tips scales at 170.5lb, Holloway is 170lb for rematch 13 years in making
- McGregor, who won first fight, has experience at welterweight; Holloway does not
- McGregor’s first fight in five years, after rape case, broken leg and more controversies
- Friday’s weigh-in followed Thursday’s press conference, where security separated fighters
- Saturday’s co-main event features Liverpool’s Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett
McGregor coach explains late arrival in Las Vegas: ‘I apologise’
22:30 , Alex PattleFans are hesitant to get too excited for the Holloway rematch until it actually begins, and there was nervousness among the fandom when McGregor was absent from the first two episodes of UFC Embedded this week. The YouTube series typically follows fighters in the days before a major event.
However, McGregor’s longtime coach John Kavanagh has offered an explanation for McGregor’s absence, telling journalist Ariel Helwani: “I’ll apologise. I maybe had a part in him being a bit late arriving.”
More here:
Conor McGregor coach explains late arrival for UFC comeback: ‘I apologise’
The candid McGregor admission that shows time is running out
21:30 , Alex PattleConor McGregor is back in the UFC, but for how long? See, win or lose against Max Holloway this weekend, the Irishman may have a problem.
Comment:
The candid Conor McGregor admission that shows time is running out on UFC career
Where has McGregor been? Rape case, broken leg and missed drug tests
20:30 , Alex PattleA broken leg, a broken toe, a failed fight, a rape case, a sexual-assault allegation, missed drug tests.
McGregor’s last five years, summed up:
Why hasn’t Conor McGregor fought in five years? Rape case and drug tests explained
Pimblett and the ‘hate watches’ that fuel his redemption story
19:30 , Alex PattleOur own Will Castle interviewed Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, who fights Benoit Saint-Denis in Saturday’s co-main event.
The Liverpudlian star told Will about the “hate watches” fueling his bid to redeem himself after January’s loss to Justin Gaethje.
One was Arsenal’s Champions League final loss to PSG; another was his rival Ilia Topuria’s own loss to Gaethje in June.
Interview:
Paddy Pimblett and the ‘hate watches’ that fuel his UFC redemption story
What happened at yesterday’s press conference?
18:30 , Alex PattleHonestly, nothing of note was really said. McGregor didn’t drop any all-timer quotes, but he did yank the Meta glasses from Holloway’s face during their face-off, before putting his forehead against the Hawaiian’s.
As such, security stepped in.
Prior to that, the most-notable moment was probably McGregor singing “Wonderwall” by Oasis before jokingly having a go at Paddy Pimblett for not backing him up.
All wrapped up
18:17 , Alex PattleThat’s every fighter on weight, phew!
The official weigh-ins are therefore done, with only the ceremonials to follow tonight.
Early prelims set!
17:47 , Alex PattleWang Cong is 125.5lb for her tilt with Tracy Cortez.
Damian Pinas tips the scales at 185.5lb, while opponent Cesar Almeida is 186lb.
Ryan Gandra is another 185.5lb athlete, and his foe Zach Reese is a tad lighter at 184.5lb.
Meanwhile, Cody Durden hits 125.5lb, after his opponent Alessandro Costa made weight earlier.
With John Garza having made the bantamweight limit earlier, one fighter is left: Garza’s opponent Farid Basharat... and he’s 136lb!
Regular prelims also set!
17:45 , Alex PattleFor his light-heavyweight debut, ex-middleweight champ Robert Whittaker tips the scales at 205.5. He’s good to go versus Nikita Krylov.
Elsewhere on the regular prelims, Luke Riley matches his opponent Kai Kamaka III at 146lb, and Adrian Yanez is 136lb to face Cody Garbrandt.
Heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson comes in at 241lb, and his opponent Elisha Ellison is 236lb.
With that, the regular prelims are all sorted!
Kavanagh rounds out main card!
17:43 , Alex PattleLone’er Kavanagh comes in at 126lb! His bout with Brandon Royval is official, so now the ENTIRE main card is set!
Mario Bautista on weight!
17:36 , Alex PattleBautista hits the scales at 135.5lb, matching his bantamweight foe Cory Sandhagen.
Their bout is ON!
Pimblett off to have pancakes
17:36 , Alex PattleThat’s what he says! He’ll be refuelling asap.
Pimblett looking bad?
17:31 , Alex PattlePimblett is speaking to former UFC champs Daniel Cormier and Chris Weidman, and he... doesn’t look good.
It’s not necessarily a new sight, and he’s hydrating while speaking right now, but his skull is so pronounced, his eye sockets are deeply set, even his pupils look a little off...
After that stream of fighters...
17:26 , Alex PattleA bit of a wait now!
Kamaka on weight before Riley bout
17:14 , Alex PattleKai Kamaka III is okay at 146lb, ahead of his featherweight clash with Pimblett’s teammate Luke Riley.
McKinney needs the box
17:13 , Alex PattleTerrance McKinney needs the box after failing to make weight when he first stepped on the scales.
156lb for the lightweight, he just makes weight! He faces King Green in a grudge match at UFC 329.
Krylov professional
17:11 , Alex Pattle205.5lb for Krylov, ahead of his light-heavyweight match-up against ex-middleweight champion Robert Whittaker.
Whittaker makes his 205lb debut tomorrow.
Costa passes the weight test
17:11 , Alex PattleAlessandro Costa is also on point at 126lb.
Fan favourite Tracy Cortez is good to go
17:10 , Alex PattleWomen’s flyweight Cortez makes weight at 126lb for her bout with Wang Cong.
Ex-champ Garbrandt is on point
17:09 , Alex Pattle136lb for Cody Garbrandt, the former bantamweight champion. He takes on Adrian Yanez on Saturday’s prelim card.
John Garza makes weight
17:08 , Alex Pattle135.5lb for John Garza, just under the limit for his bantamweight tilt with Farid Basharat!
Paddy The Baddy is good to go
17:07 , Alex PattlePaddy Pimblett follows Saint-Denis in making 156lb, the lightweight limit!
The UFC 329 co-main event is OFFICIAL, as is the main event.
Brandon Royval makes weight
17:06 , Alex PattleChampionship weight for Royval, who comes in at 125lb for his flyweight bout against Lone’er Kavanagh on the main card.
BSD is A-OK!
17:05 , Alex PattleBenoit Saint-Denis is also on the mark at 156lb, for his lightweight co-main event with Paddy Pimblett.
CONOR MCGREGOR MAKES WEIGHT
17:04 , Alex Pattle170.5lb for McGregor!
He’s 0.5lb inside the welterweight limit.
It must be said, he and Holloway both look in fantastic shape and healthy.
Cory Sandhagen on the mark
17:03 , Alex PattleCory Sandhagen makes weight for his bantamweight rematch with Mario Bautista on the main card!
The former title challenger comes in at 135.5lb.
MAX HOLLOWAY MAKES WEIGHT
17:02 , Alex PattleHolloway is first on the scales, and he makes championship weight! 170lb, when he could’ve gotten away with 171lb.
One half of the main event is official already.
Weigh-in window opens imminently!
16:56 , Alex PattleThe official weigh-in window opens in just a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere!
UFC 329 card in full
16:53 , Alex PattleSubject to change:
Main card
Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway 2 (welterweight)
Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint-Denis (lightweight)
Cory Sandhagen vs Mario Bautista (bantamweight)
Brandon Royval vs Lone’er Kavanagh (flyweight)
King Green vs Terrance McKinney (lightweight)
Prelims
Robert Whittaker vs Nikita Krylov (light-heavyweight)
Gable Steveson vs Elisha Ellison (heavyweight)
Cody Garbrandt vs Adrian Yanez (bantamweight)
Luke Riley vs Kai Kamaka III (featherweight)
Early prelims
Tracy Cortez vs Wang Cong (women’s flyweight)
Damian Pinas vs Cesar Almeida (middleweight)
Farid Basharat vs John Garza (bantamweight)
Ryan Gandra vs Zachary Reese (middleweight)
Alessandro Costa vs Cody Durden (flyweight)
McGregor and Pimblett odds
16:49 , Alex PattleMcGregor – 5/2; Holloway – 3/10
Pimblett – 13/10; Saint-Denis – 8/13
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How to watch UFC 329
16:44 , Alex PattleIn the UK, the card will air live on TNT Sports pay-per-view at a cost of £19.99, and is also accessible via HBO Max, EE TV, Virgin Media, Amazon Prime Video, and Sky Sports. In the US, Paramount+ will stream the action, with CBS showing a segment of the card.
UFC 329 start time on Saturday
16:37 , Alex PattleUFC 329 will take place on Saturday 11 July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, US. The early prelims will begin at 10pm BST (2pm PT / 4pm CT / 5pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 12am BST (4pm PT / 6pm CT / 7pm ET) on Sunday, before the main card starts at 2am BST on Sunday (6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET on Saturday).
The night Conor McGregor became ‘Mystic Mac’
16:31 , Alex PattleIn 2021, before Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier 2, key figures spoke to the Independent about McGregor’s 2014 knockout of Poirier – a pivotal night on the Irishman’s journey to superstardom.
UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, backstage reporter Megan Olivi, and journalists Ariel Helwani and Petesy Carroll all feature.
Deep dive:
The night Conor McGregor became ‘Mystic Mac’
McGregor reignites feud with rival Khabib: ‘No courage’
16:23 , Alex PattleDoes McGregor believe his old rival Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of the all-time greats?
“Come on, the guy’s done nothing in the sport, he’s done nothing in the sport,” McGregor told Complex. “Thirteen fights he’s had in the company, that’s it, and three against named opponents.
“He had a fight against me coming off... I was off the yacht, I was doing bad things on the yacht, yeah? I was partying heavily, and I was up to my eyeballs in court cases and all of this. I hadn’t fought in two years, I was worth 200 million.
“I come back and fight this f***ing guy. I done four rounds with him. I had a broken toe; I’m sure you’ve seen the Netflix show, where I broke my f***ing foot three weeks before the bout.”
More here:
Conor McGregor reignites feud with rival Khabib Nurmagomedov: ‘No courage’
McGregor trained for different opponent before Holloway fight was made
16:14 , Alex Pattle“As it’s out there now, we had [Carlos] Prates as the first opponent,” McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, told journalist Ariel Helwani on Wednesday.
“‘Okay, we’re fighting Prates, let’s get going.’ I just never gave myself the time to think about: ‘Will it happen?’
“[I thought it would be] tough, I knew it was gonna be a hard fight, but you know, you keep your confidence. You start game-planning, you start training, you start studying.
“But it didn’t seem it was all that long into it, and then suddenly it was Max. Whoever it is, it is – as Conor would say.”
More here:
Conor McGregor trained for different opponent before Max Holloway fight was made
McGregor coach explains late arrival in Las Vegas: ‘I apologise’
16:07 , Alex PattleFans are hesitant to get too excited for the Holloway rematch until it actually begins, and there was nervousness among the fandom when McGregor was absent from the first two episodes of UFC Embedded this week. The YouTube series typically follows fighters in the days before a major event.
However, McGregor’s longtime coach John Kavanagh has offered an explanation for McGregor’s absence, telling journalist Ariel Helwani: “I’ll apologise. I maybe had a part in him being a bit late arriving.”
More here:
Conor McGregor coach explains late arrival for UFC comeback: ‘I apologise’
The candid McGregor admission that shows time is running out
15:58 , Alex PattleConor McGregor is back in the UFC, but for how long? See, win or lose against Max Holloway this weekend, the Irishman may have a problem.
Comment:
The candid Conor McGregor admission that shows time is running out on UFC career
Where has McGregor been? Rape case, broken leg and missed drug tests
15:53 , Alex PattleA broken leg, a broken toe, a failed fight, a rape case, a sexual-assault allegation, missed drug tests.
McGregor’s last five years, summed up:
Why hasn’t Conor McGregor fought in five years? Rape case and drug tests explained
Pimblett and the ‘hate watches’ that fuel his redemption story
15:44 , Alex PattleOur own Will Castle interviewed Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, who fights Benoit Saint-Denis in Saturday’s co-main event.
The Liverpudlian star told Will about the “hate watches” fueling his bid to redeem himself after January’s loss to Justin Gaethje.
One was Arsenal’s Champions League final loss to PSG; another was his rival Ilia Topuria’s own loss to Gaethje in June.
Interview:
Paddy Pimblett and the ‘hate watches’ that fuel his UFC redemption story
What happened at yesterday’s press conference?
15:37 , Alex PattleHonestly, nothing of note was really said. McGregor didn’t drop any all-timer quotes, but he did yank the Meta glasses from Holloway’s face during their face-off, before putting his forehead against the Hawaiian’s.
As such, security stepped in.
Prior to that, the most-notable moment was probably McGregor singing “Wonderwall” by Oasis before jokingly having a go at Paddy Pimblett for not backing him up.
More on Pimblett in a moment.
What weight will McGregor and Holloway fight at?
15:27 , Alex PattleMcGregor and Holloway will clash at welterweight, despite both men having fought most of their careers at lighter weights.
McGregor won the featherweight title in 2015 before famously becoming the UFC’s first-ever dual-weight champion by adding the lightweight belt in 2016.
And Holloway is a former featherweight champion, although he has fought at lightweight four times, including in a March loss to Charles Oliveira.
Regardless, he and McGregor will meet at welterweight, where Holloway has never fought before, while McGregor has competed their three times.
McGregor traded wins with Nate Diaz at 170lb in 2016, before stopping Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds in 2020.
What time do weigh-ins start today?
15:20 , Alex PattleThere will be two weigh-ins today: the official one, then the ceremonial one.
The official weigh-in will begin at 5pm BST, and it gives fighters a two-hour window to make weight. If a fighter fails to make weight, they will get one extra hour to make a final attempt.
Then, at 3am BST on Saturday, the ceremonial weigh-ins will see the athletes tip the scales in front of fans at the T-Mobile Arena, which hosts UFC 329 on Saturday. That weigh-in is purely for show, and to give fighters one final chance to face off.
Welcome! McGregor vs Holloway weigh-in LIVE
15:14 , Alex PattleToday, Conor McGregor and Max Holloway will tip the scales at the weigh-in for UFC 329, one day before their Las Vegas main event.
The Irishman and Holloway will clash at welterweight at UFC 329, 13 years after McGregor outpointed the Hawaiian at featherweight, and five years after McGregor last fought.
In his last fight, McGregor sustained a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier, before a broken toe ruled him out of a 2024 bout with Michael Chandler on two weeks’ notice. 2024 was also marred by a civil court case in which a jury found McGregor, 37, liable for rape in 2018. McGregor continues to deny the allegations against him, although his appeal against the verdict failed.
Against Holloway, McGregor meets a fellow former world champion, considered by many to be an all-time great. Both men held featherweight gold, while McGregor went on to win the lightweight belt before dabbling at 170lb. Holloway has also fought at lightweight, but Saturday marks his welterweight debut.
Follow live updates from the UFC 329 weigh-in, right here.
