UFC Freedom 250 Recap + UFC 329 Preview: McGregor Returns

On June 14, the UFC made history by staging an event on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington D.C. From the opening bout through to the climactic main event, it was non-stop action, with all seven fights ending inside the distance.

Ciryl Gane stopped Alex Pereira in Round 2 to claim the interim heavyweight title, ending Pereira's dream of becoming a three-division champion. Mauricio Ruffy finished Michael Chandler with a spinning wheel kick in Round 1, while Bo Nickal dispatched Kyle Daukaus in the final minute of the first round. Diego Lopes delivered a spectacular second-round knockout against Steve Garcia to round out a card that left nothing on the table.

Then came the main event.

How Gaethje Broke "The Unbreakable" Topuria

Ilia Topuria entered as one of the heaviest favorites in modern UFC history. Gaethje had a plan. Rather than walking into Topuria's power shots, "The Highlight" worked the outside, fed him jabs, and let the damage accumulate. In Round 2, Topuria caught Gaethje with a liver shot, dropped him, and nearly forced a stoppage. Gaethje survived.

From Round 3 onwards, Topuria looked noticeably slowed. The damage to his face was so severe that the doctor nearly stopped the fight between rounds. Topuria responded in Round 4 but his corner threw in the towel as a bone on the right side of his face was visibly displaced. Topuria suffered orbital fractures in both eyes and is not expected to return until 2027.

UFC 329: McGregor vs. Holloway 2

Three weeks later, the UFC rolls into Las Vegas for International Fight Week and one of the most anticipated fights in years. Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time since breaking his leg in 2021, stepping up to welterweight to face Max Holloway on July 12 at T-Mobile Arena.

Holloway is a heavy favorite at 1.36 with McGregor listed at 3.10, reflecting the five-year layoff and the quality of opponent he is facing. The co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis at 1.57 and 2.45 respectively is another fight with serious finish potential on both sides.

Full UFC 329 Main Card Preview and Odds

Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway (Welterweight) - McGregor 3.10 / Holloway 1.36

Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (Lightweight) - Pimblett 2.45 / Saint-Denis 1.57

Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista (Bantamweight) - Sandhagen 1.65 / Bautista 2.25

Brandon Royval vs. Lone'er Kavanagh (Flyweight) - Royval 2.65 / Kavanagh 1.50

Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison (Heavyweight) - Steveson 1.02 / Ellison 13.00

All fights and odds are live at Chipstars.