Fantasy Booking a Conor McGregor UFC 329 Fight Card
If the rumors are to be believed, Conor McGregor will make his long-awaited return to action at UFC 329, which will cap off International Fight Week on July 11.
I know, I know. We've all heard this song a million times before. McGregor has been talking about a comeback since soon after a brutal TKO loss to Dustin Poirier left him with a broken leg in 2021, and it still hasn't happened. As such, skepticism about the veracity of the UFC 329 rumors is warranted.
If McGregor does return, though, it will be one of the biggest combat sports stories of the year. Despite his long layoff, and the losses that preceded it, the "Notorious" Irishman remains one of the biggest stars in combat sports, and will do big business whenever he fights.
The big questions are: who is he going to fight, and which fighters will get the valuable opportunity to compete on his undercard, which will be viewed by millions of people worldwide.
As we dream up a hypothetical Conor McGregor undercard for UFC 329, let's quickly establish a few things.
First: he will not be fighting a legitimate contender, at welterweight or lightweight. The man is returning from a horrendous injury at 37 years old, and wasn't even a serious contender in either division he competes in when he last fought. Even if the UFC wanted to cannibalize him to put another star over, he would never agree to it. He's far to shrewd a businessman.
Second: because McGregor will be returning for a non-title fight, we can expect the UFC 329 bill to be completely devoid of belts. Outside of Alex Pereira vs. Jon Jones, there is no title fight that could headline a card over a McGregor fight, and the UFC isn't going to cheapen their championships by putting a title fight in a co-main event, under a non-title fight. They didn't do it for Brock Lesnar at UFC 200, who co-headlined under a Miesha Tate vs. Amanda Nunes championship fight. They won't do it for McGregor either. Instead, matchmakers are likely to pack the lineup with prospects they want to get McGregor fans' eyes on — the stars of the next generation.
With all that established, let's get to it, starting with McGregor's opponent for the main event, and then building out the main card and prelims.
Main Event: Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal
1 of 4
Let's call a spade a spade: Conor McGregor is no longer a contender at lightweight or welterweight, as much as he'd like to be. Both divisions have moved on in his absence and are packed with young contenders who would almost certainly wipe the floor with him.
Just imagine for a second what would happen if he were matched up with hulking welterweight Michael Morales or suffocating lightweight grappler Arman Tsarukyan. It would not be pretty for him. The UFC knows this, and deep down, he probably does too. As such, we can expect him to be matched up with a fellow veteran with a big name. Think back to his 2020 clash with a fading Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. That's the kind of fight we're going to get.
There are a couple of options in that regard, even with his arch-rival, Nate Diaz, tied up with a fight with Mike Perry on Netflix. Somebody like Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson or Dan Hooker could conceivably get the call. A former champ like Kamaru Usman could also work, though that would be a very tough matchup for the Irishman to return to. The best option, though, is probably Jorge Masvidal.
Masvidal, like McGregor, has been out of action for years and was beaten handily in his last couple of fights. He's also a big name in the sport, having enjoyed an explosion of popularity in 2019 — even if it faded a bit.
While his last fight was a boxing match with Diaz outside the UFC, he has repeatedly claimed he will return to the MMA promotion. Given that he's now 41 and riding a string of losses, those claims seem dubious, almost delusional, on the surface.
That being said, there are a few better options for McGregor's comeback fight, which could be the reason Masvidal is actually invited back. He's exactly the kind of opponent they need for the Irishman — credible, but beatable.
Book it.
Co-Main Event: Paddy Pimblett vs. Renato Moicano
2 of 4
As we've covered, the UFC 329 co-main event is likely going to have to tick two boxes. It will need to be a non-title fight, and it will need to be big enough to warrant such a high position on a Conor McGregor fight card.
How about a lightweight clash between Paddy Pimblett and Renato Moicano?
England's Pimblett, as most fans know, is riding a tough decision loss in an interim lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje. That loss definitely hurt his stock a bit, but he remains one of the biggest stars in the UFC, and certainly still has plenty of upside, especially if he wins his next fight in style.
While Pimblett has been named as a potential opponent for the likes of Benoit Saint Denis, Mateusz Gamrot, and Arman Tsarukyan, a fight with Renato Moicano would generate lots of buzz.
The Brazilian isn't quite the star that Pimblett is, but has really caught on with hardcore fans, particularly in his home country. He's also riding an impressive win over Chris Duncan, which separated him from tough losses to Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush, so he's ready for a bit of a step up.
Pimblett and Moicano both know how to sell a fight, which would definitely help supercharge interest in McGregor's comeback card. This matchup also comes with an added perk: in the event McGregor's opponent can't make it to the Octagon, Pimblett and Moicano would both be suitable short-notice replacements.
Rounding out the Main Card
3 of 4
In the past, Conor McGregor events have typically featured a bunch of hot prospects, positioned throughout the main and undercards. That makes a lot of sense. These are fighters the UFC wants to promote, and a McGregor card gets more eyes than anything else in the sport.
We can expect matchmakers to stick to this formula for UFC 329 and fill the rest of the card with fighters they'd like to see break through into the mainstream.
Here are three fights that make sense in that regard.
Joe Pyfer vs. Caio Borralho
It would be wrong to call Joe Pyfer a prospect. After an impressive knockout of Israel Adesanya in Seattle last month, he is a legitimate middleweight contender. Still, Pyfer could use another big push if he's going to become a mainstream attraction for the UFC, and a fight with Caio Borralho on a McGregor card could certainly accomplish that. It would be a tough fight for Pyfer, as Borralho recently burst back into title contention himself with a win over Reinier de Ridder, but the American could certainly win it.
Whoever comes out on top would be one of the top contenders in the division.
Payton Talbott vs. Cory Sandhagen
Enigmatic bantamweight Payton Talbott is another fighter the UFC has been pushing pretty hard the last couple of years, and like Pyfer, he recently evolved into a legitimate contender in his division, thanks to a thrilling decision win over former champ Henry Cejudo.
It's a bit surprising that Talbott's next fight hasn't been announced yet, but it's actually very possible the UFC is waiting to position him on the same card as McGregor. If that's the plan, a fight with Cory Sandhagen seems like the perfect choice. It would be an incredibly tough test for the rising contender, as Sandhagen has been a top bantamweight for years, but it's a fantastic striking matchup on paper that would propel the winner right into title contention.
Gable Steveson vs. Vitor Petrino
It's already been announced that former Olympic wrestler Gable Steveson will make his Octagon debut at UFC 329. That announcement was made during last weekend's UFC 327 broadcast. The big question now is who he'll fight.
While many fans and pundits feel Steveson is already capable of competing with top-level heavyweights, we can probably expect him to ride with training wheels in his first couple of UFC fights. He is, after all, just 3-0 in MMA, and throwing him to the wolves at the risk of him suffering a devastating, early-career loss benefits nobody. So how about a fight with Vitor Petrino? At this point, we can be pretty confident the Brazilian will never be a serious title threat at heavyweight. However, he's riding three straight wins over Austen Lane, Thomas Petersen, and Steven Asplund, which prove he's capable of beating most guys outside the rankings.
Let's see what kind of looks he can give Steveson.
Stacking the Undercard
4 of 4
Like the main card, we can expect the UFC 329 undercard to be packed with fighters the promotion wants to introduce to as many eyes as possible. And as luck would have it, many of the sport's best prospects are seemingly available for the July 11 date.
Here are some prospect matchups we'd like to see on the undercard, as well as a couple of big fights involving former champs and established contenders.
Alexa Grasso vs. Manon Fiorot
Let's make sure the women's side of the sport is well-represented on this blockbuster card. We can achieve that by adding a high-stakes flyweight clash between former champ Alexa Grasso and former title challenger Manon Fiorot. While both women have recently lost to reigning champ Valentina Shevchenko, they have since rebounded with impressive wins. Mexico's Grasso got back on track with a stunning knockout of Maycee Barber in the co-main event of the UFC's recent stop in Seattle. France's Fiorot, meanwhile, rebounded with a quick stoppage of Jasmine Jasudavicius in Vancouver last October.
Leon Edwards vs. Daniel Rodriguez
Leon Edwards and Daniel Rodriguez are nearing the end of their careers, so this might not seem like the most logical fight for UFC 329, but according to the latter, it's already in the works for the event. Let's run with it. It's a fun fight. Edwards, a former welterweight champ, is riding three straight losses and is desperate for a victory. Rodriguez, ranked No. 14, is riding three-straight wins and is deserving of a fight with a world-class opponent. It makes sense for both guys right now, and it would be a nice way to balance out a card that primarily features newer faces.
Ethyn Ewing vs. Cody Garbrandt
Ethyn Ewing is one of the top prospects in the UFC right now, thanks to a pair of stunning wins over formerly undefeated fighters in Malcolm Wellmaker and Rafael Estevam at bantamweight. After those results, he's ready for a big fight. A fight with former champ Cody Garbrandt would be just that. While Garbrandt's best days are clearly behind him, he recently maintained his relevancy in the sport with a hard-fought decision win over Xiao Long. He'll have to rely on all his veteran tricks to slow Ewing down, but it's certainly possible, and it would be a fun fight for as long as it lasted.
Lone'er Kavanagh vs. Brandon Royval
British flyweight Lone'er Kavanagh got off to a strong start in the UFC, with back-to-back wins. However, a shock knockout loss to Charles Johnson in his third fight cast some real doubt on his future. In the main event of the UFC's February stop in Mexico, he erased that doubt, defeating former champ Brandon Moreno in a fight he accepted on short notice. That win turned Kavanagh into a serious contender in his division, and another win could set him up for a title shot. Let's match him up with veteran contender Brandon Royval, who is looking to rebound from back-to-back losses to Joshua Van and Manel Kape.
Tommy McMillen vs. Lerryan Douglas
It's safe to say the verdict is still not in on Tommy McMillen. The featherweight prospect made a successful UFC debut earlier this month, knocking out Manolo Zecchini to improve to 10-0, but looked a little unrefined in the process. That said, he already has a lot of hype thanks to his affiliation with former bantamweight champ Sean O'Malley, and may well reappear at UFC 329 as a result. If so, Brazil's Lerryan Douglas seems like the right opponent. He's also 1-0 in the UFC with a first-round KO, and has the experience to test McMillen. However, he has also lost enough in the past that it's easy to imagine him coming up short in this one. The fact that the fighters' nicknames are "Gun" and "Gunslinger" is just the cherry on top.
Alice Pereira vs. Macy Chiasson
There aren't many divisions in the UFC as desperate for new talent as women's bantamweight. That's what made Alice Pereira's early-April KO of Hailey Cowan such a welcome sight. With a 1-1 UFC record, it's too early to call her a contender, but she clearly has a lot of potential. Let's see if she can rise to the occasion again in the UFC 329 opener, this time against a much tougher opponent in Macy Chiasson. As the UFC's ninth-ranked bantamweight, Chiasson is definitely a huge step up in competition, but with losses in her last three fights, she has fallen into gatekeeper status. Let's see if she can block the encroaching Pereira.
.jpg?w=600 "Vid of Bills' New Stadium 👀")
