As anticlimactic as the main event was, the card still had some standout moments. Paddy Pimblett notched an impressively quick finish of Benoit Saint Denis, Brandon Royval and Lone’er Kavanagh put on an absolute show and the seemingly unkillable King Green score a last-second first-round comeback win against Terrance McKinney. With UFC 329 now behind us, let’s look at what’s next for the winners.

Max Holloway

Since there’s barely any information we can take from this result, Max Holloway unfortunately finds himself in pretty much the exact same situation he was in after the Charles Oliveira loss in March. We should therefore think of his next fight in the same way as we would have if Conor McGregor has not been part of this equation. Holloway would still be a top5 lightweight coming off a loss needing to hold his spot against an up-and-comer. That is why I think the striking matchup with rising contender Mauricio Ruffy is utterly fascinating and guaranteed fireworks.

Holloway’s next fight: Mauricio Ruffy

Paddy Pimblett

After taking his first UFC loss back in January against now undisputed champion Justin Gaethje, Paddy Pimbett bounced right back, making very short work of Benoit Saint Denis. A failed takedown attempt by Saint Denis resulted in Pimblett immediately attacking the neck and putting the Frenchman to sleep with a nasty guillotine choke. Already a fan favourite, options are not lacking for Pimblett. I could see him face Charles Oliveira for the BMF title just as much as I could see him being Ilia Topuria’s comeback fight. I prefer the Topuria fight, because it’s genuinely rare nowadays to have real bad blood in a high stakes bout. Additionally, Topuria’s recovery will take some time, but Pimblett’s never been the most active fighter anyways, so I think he’d be willing to wait for Ilia.

Pimblett’s next fight: Ilia Topuria

Mario Bautista

After running through Vinicius Oliveira in February, Mario Bautista asked for a rematch with Cory Sandhagen and saw his wish granted by the UFC. He made the most out of this opportunity by winning a decision and avenging the loss. A leg lock at the tail end of the first round compromised Sandhagen’s left leg for the remainder of the fight. A knockdown to start round 3 followed by multiple mat returns made the result a clear one.

If Merab Dvalishvili gets his trilogy with Yan, then Bautista should fight David Martinez or Song Yadong, should he beat Umar Nurmagomedov in Shanghai. If Sean O’Malley gets the shot, then Bautista should instead face Merab. My hunch currently being that Merab will get the next shot, I will go with David Martinez.

Bautista’s next fight: David Martinez

Brandon Royval

The self-proclaimed Master of Chaos once again proved why he is worthy of that nickname as he stood toe-to-toe with the hard-hitting Lone’er Kavanagh and left the octagon with his hand raised. It wasn’t without adversity, but Royval managed to outlast the highly touted Englishman to get back in the win column after losing his previous two bouts. Having already gotten a title shot and having recently lost to both the current champion and the number one contender, it will be exceedingly difficult for Royval to get back into title contention. For that reason, I think the promotion will keep booking him against fighters ranked lower than him. I think the winner of the upcoming Steve Erceg vs Ramazan Temirov bout is the most likely next fight for Royval.

Royval’s next fight: Erceg/Temirov winner

King Green

We’re midway through 2026 and King Green somehow finds himself on a four-fight win streak. This win was a testament to Green’s resilience and overall veteran savviness. He had to overcome the onslaught of first-round Terrance McKinney, but once he found an opening, he immediately took advantage of it. As for what’s next, there’s a fight that has never happened that I will keep asking for until it gets booked: King Green vs Michael Johnson.

Green’s next fight: Michael Johnson

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Speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press, the stitched-up Green (36-17-1, 1NC) admitted that emotions ran high in the fight. The pair had previously agreed not to compete against one another, only for McKinney to accept the bout, which left Green irate.

“You gotta understand, this is at its highest pinnacle. The emotions are high. But you gotta be able to be in the fire,” he said of regulating those emotions. “And it’s like, you gotta keep the emotions high, but you gotta control your emotions at the same time. It’s a weird game you gotta play.”

Ultimately, the hatchet was buried after the bout, which saw Green nearly finished early in round one, before drilling the body and finding a TKO finish with one second left in the frame.

“I’m a Christian, I can forgive people,” stated Green, later adding that “I want nothing but good things for him. I’m sorry that we had to do this fight, I told you not to take the fight, brother. That’s my little bro, and I didn’t want to do this sh*t. I didn’t want to shut his light out. Imma be real bro, there ain’t too many black fighters as it is.”

Green believes black fighters should stick together. “Irish fighters do it, Mexican fighters do it, but us as black folks, where we come from and what we’ve been through, it’s just different.”

Dan Hooker tweeted out “L.A. in September. See you there Bobby K Green,” after Green’s win. “I’ve been calling that guy out,” noted Green (who changed his name from Bobby to King a while back). “It’s funny, you didn’t say nothing, when I was calling you out before you didn’t say nothing. Now all of a sudden, he’s popping like that, now let’s get him. I think they see my face and they think they’ve seen this fight. But I was really just warming up.”

As for “T-Wrecks” McKinney, Green had some positive words for his performance. “He did everything right, but I’m unbreakable. My spirit don’t get broken.”

Watch the full UFC 329 post-fight press conference with King Green above.

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The Las Vegas-based card was the return point for Conor McGregor, but his fight with Max Holloway was over almost before it started, due to a leg injury. Interestingly enough, not to the same leg McGregor had broken five years prior.

The co-main event fared much better, although Benoit Saint-Denis himself did not. An ill-conceived takedown attempt early in the fight saw him end up trapped in a slick d’arce choke by Paddy Pimblett. England vs. France, as the fight was billed, ended in favor of the British, with Saint-Denis going to sleep before he could tap.

Pimblett picks up a $100,000 Performance of the Night bonus as a result. As does King Green, who was nearly put away by Terrance McKinney before battling back, drilling “T-Wrecks” to the body, and putting him out with one second left in the opening round.

Fight of the Night at UFC 329 was awarded to Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh. A thrilling back-and-forth flyweight fight made it to the third round before Royval forced a tap from the young upstart.

UFC 329 at the T-Mobile Arena was sold out with over 20,000 in attendance and a gate of $26.4 million US, per UFC CEO and President Dana White. Alessandro Costa, Ryan Gandra, Damian Pinas, Luke Riley, Adrian Yanez, Gable Steveson, and Robert Whittaker all earn $25,000 finishing bonuses.

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The youth versus experience storyline in the main-card opener was clear, with McKinney eight years the junior of his much more experienced counterpart.

“T-Wrecks” was also known for first-round finishes, Green for dragging opponents into deep waters while employing an unorthodox, highly creative style. Yet it was Green coming out hot in a quick start, briefly getting McKinney in a choke. Green, however, was cut in an exchange, blood running down his nose. McKinney was also sporting damage early, but was able to walk Green back to the fence and rip the body. Green was hemmed in, eating more shots, wiping at the blood on his face.

Near the midway mark, it was McKinney getting the fight down, getting on top and eventually moving to full mount. Green turned as McKinney began dropping punches and elbows. The veteran lightweight was stuck, and briefly gave up his back. Green fought hands, and managed to get himself seated with McKinney on his back, hooks in. Somehow, Green survived, got back to his feet, and then drilled “T-Wrecks” first with a kick to the body, then right in the liver with a punch. McKinney crumpled, covering up while Green rained down punches. With seconds left in the round, it was going to be close – and the ref called it!

An incredible comeback from King Green, going from nearly being finished, to finding the finish himself, all inside of the opening round.

Official Result: King Green def. Terrance McKinney by TKO, Round 1, 4:59

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Although Green believed the two had an understanding not to fight one another, McKinney says the opportunity at UFC 329 was simply too big to refuse. While he understands why Green may feel slighted, he insists the matchup comes from respect, not disrespect.

“I posted this funny video on my Instagram calling him out and then he’s like man let’s not take each other’s shine man. Pretty much saying like we’re black, we’re supposed to be brothers, and I’m like you know what I’ll take the post down,” McKinney told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“I was like you right. We only hung out really once. So he comes down, drives two hours, we hung out for a little bit. That was pretty much it. Literally a week later the UFC contact my manager. Yo you want to fight Bobby Green on a Conor McGregor card? I sent him a message like, bro it’s really up to you. What do you think? But to me I really can’t say no.”

Forget rankings, politics, or who’s friends with who, McKinney says one thing made this decision incredibly easy. When the UFC calls and says, “Hey, you want to fight on Conor McGregor’s comeback card?” there’s really only one acceptable answer.

“This is something like all fighters dream of. We grew up watching Conor McGregor, being a fan, and being able to fight on this card that is something you can’t turn down,” he said.

“He didn’t respond so I was like bet, easy, I know he’s going to accept it. Let’s go.”

Despite the tension surrounding the matchup, McKinney made it clear there is no lack of respect for what Green has accomplished inside the cage. The rising lightweight says accepting the fight had nothing to do with disrespect and everything to do with his willingness to compete against anyone the UFC puts in front of him.

“He’s an OG of the game. I’ve got nothing but respect for him. What he’s doing is incredible specially at his age, so we did not take him lightly nor did I think he’s soft or anything like that,” said McKinney.

“I just had to say yes. I’m not one to turn down fights.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Terrance McKinney above. He faces King Green at UFC 329 on Saturday night.

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Green discussed McKinney’s unpredictable style, revealed why he feels betrayed by the booking, and explained why he expects to be the one still standing once the early fireworks fade.

“Terrance is a wild card. He wins fights I think he shouldn’t have won and I think he loses fights that you think he would win. It’s a wild card,” Green told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

“What you get is what you get. You never know.”

If McKinney wants to sprint through the first round looking for a highlight-reel finish, Green says that’s perfectly fine with him. He’s betting that once the fireworks fade, he’ll still be standing there ready to fight while his opponent starts wondering where all that energy went.

“I said it before. He’s a quick bumper. I’ll fight for a while. We’re going the distance. We’ll see where it goes, but I come to fight. I come to fight a long time not just one round,” he said.

Green isn’t upset because McKinney wants to fight him. He’s upset because he says the conversation had already been settled. In Green’s mind, if you shake someone’s hand and give them your word, that’s supposed to mean something.

“He be saying little slick ass sh*t. Don’t be fooled by him. That’s the difference between me and him. This is where we have an issue now is like when I met up with him I’m like bro, you want to fight me? Why? Bro, you’re the homie. And he’s like ok I’m not going to fight you,” he said.

“And then a week later, like Conor would say, little snake in the grass or some sh*t. You’re not a true man of your word. Me and Diaz started f*cking with each other. We’re not fighting each other. We shook hands and that’s what it is. I got many offers, hey you should fight Diaz, I’m like no, that’s the homie.”

Green has spent years talking trash, putting on entertaining fights, and doing exactly what made him one of the UFC’s most unique personalities. Now that fans are finally cheering for him instead of rooting against him, he can’t help but wonder where all that love was about ten years ago.

“I feel love now. I’ve been on streaks, I’ve been doing that stuff way before I was talking and I was doing all this stuff before. I got a lot of bad reviews and now people are finally getting like, oh you’re a good guy. We actually want to see you win,” he said.

“I’m like man I’m f*cking almost 40, now you like this sh*t?”

Watch the entire media day scrum with King Green above. He faces Terrance McKinney at UFC 329 on Saturday night.

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Joining McGregor vs. Holloway 2 will be King Green (35–17–1, 1NC) taking on Terrance McKinney (18-8), a youth versus veteran pairing that will almost certainly be a crowd pleaser.

Heavy.com’s Marcel Dorff first reported news of  the match-up on Thursday, with McKinney confirming the booking a short time later.

“I can not describe how incredibly grateful I am for this opportunity to fight on the McGregor vs Holloway card,” McKinney wrote on social media. “Jesus is king from staying on someone’s floor to being a house owner now this let’s gooo #AllGloryToGod for the victory to come UFC 329.”

Green has shown he still has legs in the fight game as even at age 39, he’s been putting together wins. He’s picked up three straight victories, most recently submitting Jeremy Stephens. Green isn’t just finding success with fellow vets, however, as his current win streak has seen him defeat Daniel Zellhuber and Lance Gibson Jr.

McKinney, eight years Green’s junior, is 3-1 in his last four bouts and is coming off a finish of Kyle “The Monster” Nelson.

UFC 329 takes place on July 11, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The return of Conor McGregor, in a rematch with Max Holloway, headlines. The following match-ups have been reported for the event:

• Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway
• Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoît Saint Denis
• Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
• Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
• Gable Steveson vs. Elisha Ellison
• Robert Whittaker vs. Nikita Krylov
• Cody Garbrandt vs. Adrian Yañez
• Tracy Cortez vs. Wang Cong
• Damian Pinas vs. César Almeida
• Luke Riley vs. Kai Kamaka III
• Ryan Gandra vs. Zachary Reese
• Ode’ Osbourne vs.Cody Durden
• King Green vs. Terrance McKinney
• Farid Basharat vs. Ethyn Ewing

The post King Green vs. Terrance McKinney Joins UFC 329 appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I’m ready to do another one, I’m ready to fight next week,” Green told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.

“I’ll be honest, if I can get on the Vegas card next week, surprise, come in and surprise everybody and do a fight out there that’d be dope.”

Green (35-17-1) was still so fresh after the fight that he called for a spot on UFC Vegas 117 headlined by Arnold Allen and Melquizael Costa at the Meta APEX. Unlikely as it may be that he gets a fight on the card it shows that Green is in a bit of a hurry to stack some more fights together in 2026.

“I don’t even feel like I got in a fight, and I didn’t like the way I finished it. I wanted to knock him out and get that. Make sure that I solidified myself as one of the greatest fighters to ever step on these mats. That’s what I was saying to Dana is I’m one of the greatest to ever do this,” he said.

“I told him hey bro, I even told him when we were standing on our face off, I was like listen there is no loser,” said Green.

“The work you’ve done in this cage, the work I’ve done in this cage, there is no loser. You’re great no matter what. That’s what I was telling him at the face-off. There is no loser. We’re great fighters, bro.”

Watch the entire post-fight scrum with King Green above.

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Joshua Van kept his title at flyweight with an impressive outing against Tatsuro Taira. But none of these compare to what we saw in the main event, which can only be described as the early favourite for upset of the year. With UFC 328 now in the books, let’s look at what’s next for the winners.

Sean Strickland

Despite having one of the most unorthodox styles the sport has ever seen, Sean Strickland has overcome two title losses on his road to get it back from the man who was best described as the boogeyman. Don’t look now, but Strickland has taken the belt from Israel Adesanya and Khamzat Chimaev, which is likely a Hall of Fame worthy achievement. This is nothing short of a monumental win for Strickland. You can’t help but feel bad for Nassourdine Imavov since the split nature of the decision will probably lead us to a much anticipated rematch.

Strickland’s next fight: Khamzat Chimaev

Joshua Van

Joshua Van is officially the winner of the first ever UFC title fight between two fighters born in the 21st century. He had to overcome Tatsuro Taira’s elite grappling, but his melting style eventually still came through and the abuse for too much for the Japanese warrior. While this still won’t convince people he defeated Alexandre Pantoja, this at least legitimizes Van’s title a little bit. Hopefully, Pantoja’s injury recovery is going well enough that the next flyweight title fight is a rematch between Van and Pantoja.

Van’s next fight: Alexandre Pantoja

Alexander Volkov

Alexander Volkov has to be on the unluckiest run of any top3 contender in the UFC. He’s 6-1 in his last 7 fights, and most people believe he’s actually 7-0. Despite turning away yet another younger contender who had real momentum behind him, I highly doubt this win will grant Volkov his much-deserved title shot. Tom Aspinall will have to face the winner of the upcoming interim title fight, which means we probably won’t have an undisputed heavyweight champion ready to defend his belt against Volkov until at least early 2027. To add to that, would anybody be shocked if Josh Hokit, with a big finish against Derrick Lewis at the White House, overtakes Volkov as the number one contender? For as unfair as it is, Volkov will surely need another win. At the very least, the heavyweight division will keep throwing options at Volkov and the winner of the Rizvan Kuniev and Tyrell Fortune fight is one that makes sense.

Volkov’s next fight: Kuniev/Fortune winner

Sean Brady

Sean Brady was in bad need of a bounce back performance, and he delivered. A dominant showing against a fellow to10 contender in Joaquin Buckley and all of a sudden, Brady seems to be back on track. Because of the title picture is clogged with names like Ian Machado Garry, Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, I wouldn’t book Brady with someone up the rankings just yet, as it would simply clog it even more. Instead, I would look at a streaking contender who deserves a shot at someone in Brady’s position, any of the names ranked from 11 to 15 would make sense, but Mike Malott is the name with the best case to get a matchup like this.

Brady’s next fight: Mike Malott

King Green

When Mauricio Ruffy sent King Green to the shadow realm, it looked it might be the end for King Green in the UFC. Fast forward a year, and now Green is on a three-fight win streak, coming off back-to-back dominant performances punctuated by finishes. Until they book this fight, I will keep recommending it: King Green vs Michael Johnson. This fight sounds like too much fun to keep passing over.

Green’s next fight: Michael Johnson

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The lone fighter to have missed weight for the event, Stephens came in four pounds heavy. “Lil Heathen” was seeking his first win since returning to the UFC last year in a loss against Mason Jones; Green had won two straight.

Green started the round off with a couple of stiff teeps, and his usual very low guard. Stephens was applying pressure, picking his shots. But everything was landing with strong intent. You could definitely see that Green was feeling confident in his movement and striking, as Stephens bit down on Green’s feints early in the round.

Stephens was really trying to close the distance, able to get inside the clinch and force Green to the cage. Stephens found a nice inside elbow but couldn’t keep him there long. Green broke away and got back to his movement, bringing the fight back to the open area of the octagon.

The two would find themselves in a nice little exchange, starting to show an exciting round! During the exchange, Green caught Stephens, leaving him to seem a little wobbly. Shortly after, Green landed an accidental kick to the groin causing Stephens to take four minutes of his five minute recovery time.

As they got back to work, Stephen closed the distance immediately trying to put Green back on the fence. A couple of back and forth exchanges followed, Green just being a step ahead.

Stephens wound up on a big hook, just a little too telegraphed helping Green time a nice double leg; he landed in the guard of Stephens and got straight to work.

Green was landing some heavy ground and pound! Stephens was doing his best to defend, even attempting to hit a kimura on King Green – close but not close enough. Green defended and quickly transitioned to side control. After some scrambling from Stephens, Green was able to find the back and sink in a deep rear-naked choke. Quickly after, he forced the tap while not even having both hooks in.

Putting Green on his third straight win, he’s got to have the division’s notice at this point. Jeremy Stephens, meanwhile, stripped off his gloves after the fight and exited the octagon, potentially signaling that he was hanging them up.

Looks like Jeremy Stephens is going to call it a day

— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) May 10, 2026

Official result: King Green def. Jeremy Stephens by rear-naked choke, Round 1, 4:20

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