The UFC was in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Saturday for a stacked UFC 329 card. In the main event, Conor McGregor made his return after five years off to rematch Max Holloway, but this time at featherweight. The co-main event saw Benoit Saint Denis take on Paddy Pimblett in a pivotal lightweight scrap.
Ultimately, it was Holloway who won by first-round TKO in 69 seconds as McGregor suffered a knee injury which ended the bout. In the co-main event, Pimblett made quick work of Saint Denis as he earned a submission win in 52 seconds.
Following UFC 329, here is what I think should be next for the stars of the event.
Max Holloway
Max Holloway was looking to get revenge against Conor McGregor, and although he got the win, it was due to a McGregor injury. Although Holloway is campaigning for a trilogy fight, there’s no word on when McGregor can fight again, or if he will.
However, Holloway has said he will take the rest of the year off, so perhaps a trilogy will happen next. Yet, to me, that doesn’t make sense, so the Hawaiian should move back to lightweight and face Mauricio Ruffy in what should be a fan-friendly striking fight.
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor had been teasing the greatest comeback in sports from his leg injury, but, unfortnately, he suffered a knee injury. There are questions if he was injured before the fight, but the Irishman and Dana White have both been adamant that the injury happened during the fight.
McGregor will now be in line for surgery and another rehab, so there will be questions if he fights again. If he does fight again, a logical bout would be to finally fight Michael Chandler. The two had been linked to fighting for years, and with Chandler struggling as of late, it does make sense for them to finally fight if McGregor fights again.
Paddy Pimblett
Image via: theufcbaddy on Instagram
Paddy Pimblett dominated Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329 to secure a 52-second submission win. It was a solid performance as Pimblett is right back in the title picture.
It does appear that Arman Tsarukyan will get the next title shot against Justin Gaethje, so Pimblett will need another fight. Although he has a rivalry with Ilia Topuria, to me, the UFC can hold off on that fight until one of them is a champion. So, a logical next bout is a main event fight or a co-main on a pay-per-view against Charles Oliveira. It’s a tough test for Pimblett, but if he wins, he could get a title shot.
Benoit Saint Denis
Benoit Saint Denis decided to shoot at Pimblett and was submitted in less than a minute. It was a surprising decision from Saint Denis, and he’s now back to the drawing board.
With the loss, Saint Denis will once again have to fight below him in the rankings. A logical next fight is for Saint Denis to face Rafael Fiziev, as the winner will be back in contention, while the loser likely becomes a gatekeeper. It’s a fan-friendly fight that can headline a Fight Night card.
What do you think should be next for the stars of UFC 329?
