It was an anticlimactic close to UFC 329, as Conor McGregor suffered a knee injury straight away when throwing a jumping kick to start the fight.
McGregor looked to land a jumping scissor kick as soon as the fight began and when he landed, you could see his knee give, drawing a reaction from the returning Irishman. He tried to persevere, slipping to the canvas twice, with Max Holloway asking referee Mike Beltran if he wanted to intervene.
The fight continued and when they stood, Holloway landed one kick, McGregor took an unsure step back, and the fight was waved off.
That’s not the way Holloway wanted to avenge his loss to “The Notorious” one, but — clears throat — it is what it is.
UFC President Dana White doesn’t like to make fights straight away after an event, but you have to think a rematch between Holloway and newly crowned lightweight champ Justin Gaethje is top of mind right now.
Pimblett puts Saint Denis to sleep
Earlier, Paddy Pimblett made quick work of Benoît Saint Denis in the UFC 329 co-main event, putting the French finisher to sleep with a nasty first-round D’arce choke.
Saint Denis closed the distance and shot almost immediately, and Pimblett instantly attacked a guillotine, putting BSD in a bad spot. He shifted to the D’arce choke and sat back to secure the hold, rolling through and sending the French “God of War” to Dreamland.
This was easily the best performance of Pimblett’s career and gives him plenty of options heading into the back half of his year. He’s solidified himself as a Top 5 standout in one of the best divisions in the sport and should get a massive opportunity next.
Bautista takes unanimous decision against Sandhagen
Mario Bautista earned a measure of revenge against Cory Sandhagen, securing a unanimous decision win in their UFC 329 rematch. He was given the win by all three judges scoring 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.
Sandhagen landed the better blows through the first several minutes of the opening round before Bautista attacked a Suloev stretch that left the recent title challenger noticeably limping to his corner. Sandhagen did well to navigate the compromised wheel in the second, moving well laterally to out-land Bautista, only for the MMA Lab product to ratchet up the pressure and output early in the third, dropping Sandhagen on route to securing the round.
When the scorecards were collected and tallied, it was Bautista that came out ahead, collecting his second win of the year and retribution for his debut loss to Sandhagen in Brooklyn several years ago. This was a great fight and a game effort from the quiet, but ultra-talented Bautista, who should find himself inside the Top 5 when the rankings update next week.
Royval defeats Kavanagh by submission
Brandon Royval and Lone’er Kavanagh combined for the most chaotic and thoroughly entertaining fight of the night, going back-and-forth for 15 minutes, much to the delight of the audience at T-Mobile Arena and those watching around the globe.
The veteran was the more successful of the two in the opening stanza, working behind his jab and reach advantage to open an early lead on the Londoner. Kavanagh got back into the fight in the second, dropping Royval in the center of the Octagon and landing the better blows before they went shot-for-shot in the opening 90 seconds of the third, each man landing sharp blows until Kavanagh unwisely attacked a guillotine, giving Royval the opportunity to attack submissions and eventually secure the finish.
This was an absolute slobberknocker from a pair of elite flyweights, continuing the trend of the 125-pound weight class delivering absolute scorchers every time out and constantly being in the Fight of the Year conversation. Kavanagh had several quality moments here and remains a to-tier talent, but this was vintage Royval and a reminder of why he’s a perennial contender and one of the most consistently entertaining fighters on the roster.
Green TKO’s McKinney
King Green was on the wrong side of things for four minutes and 30 seconds of the first round, but that was more than enough to rally and finish Terrance McKinney to push his winning streak to four.
McKinney was the aggressor straight out of the gates, backing Green down and cutting him early before the pressure and offensive output opened the door for a takedown. McKinney worked from dominant positions, chasing chokes and landing shots, but Green stayed present and started jawing at him, confident he would survive the round and find success in the second.
But it didn’t take that long. With 30 seconds remaining, the lightweight veteran worked to his feet and went on the offensive, hurting McKinney to the body and pounding out the finish right before the horn.
That’s now four straight wins and three consecutive finishes for Green, matching his longest UFC winning streak. Each time out, the 39-year-old continues to show that he’s got plenty left to offer, and if he gets his way, a fight in Los Angeles will be in his future.
