UFC 329 is finally here.
The marquee card is headlined by the return of the one and only Conor McGregor, who rematches Max Holloway. The two first met all the way back in 2013, with the Irishman clinching the unanimous decision win. Since then, both men have created indelible legacies inside the Octagon, and they meet again in what can only be deemed as a crossroads fight.
Elsewhere, Paddy Pimblett and Cory Sandhagen look to rebound from title fight defeats when they take on Benoit Saint Denis and Mario Bautista, respectively. Finally, Brandon Royval plays gatekeeper yet again, this time against Lone’er Kavanagh.
Down in the prelims, meanwhile, here are three names to watch out for.
The featured prelim of UFC 329 sees former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker make his light heavyweight debut. His opponent, however, is no easy task.
Nikita Krylov is currently on his second stint – the rare instance of a fighter willingly leaving, then rejoining the promotion. In both of them, he has proven to be a great action fighter, having gone the distance just twice. His latest fight was a reminder of that, as he halted Modestas Bukauskas‘ momentum with a thunderous knockout.
Most eyes, if not all, will be on Whittaker come Saturday, but Krylov could steal the attention with another emphatic performance.
Nearly two years ago, Cong Wang was greatly hyped as a potential future contender, champion even. Here was someone who once beat Valentina Shevchenko in kickboxing, and she just so happened to be from the same country as Weili Zhang.
Wang justified the hype in her debut, knocking out Victoria Leonardo with a short right hook. Memorably, while she did not earn a bonus in the immediate aftermath, Dana White gave her one anyway after seeing her fight at a restaurant in Boston.
That scintillating performance earned Wang a main-card spot for the UFC’s return to Macau. Against Gabriella Fernandes, she was a massive favorite, expected to slaughter a seeming sacrificial lamb before her compatriots. What happened instead was disaster.
After a tense opening round, Fernandes dropped Wang with a high kick in the second. The Brazilian stumbled in the process, but recovered to land a massive left hook on Wang’s chin and transition to the decisive rear-naked choke.
Wang has recovered since then with a three-win streak, but the loss has greatly affected her, as all those fights went the distance. On Saturday, however, she has an opportunity to break out with a finish of Tracy Cortez, who is fighting for the first time since switching camps.
Cortez has gone the distance throughout most of her career, heavily leaning on her wrestling. That aspect of her game will need to shine if she is to prevent Wang from outlanding her on the feet.
Who else was going to top this list?
Gable Steveson is quite possibly one of the UFC’s most heavily hyped signings of all time. A freestyle wrestling champion at both the collegiate and Olympic levels, he possesses athleticism hitherto seldom seen in the heavyweight division. He also brings with him much controversy, from failed stints in WWE and the NFL to sexual assault allegations.
Steveson will make his debut against fellow newcomer Elisha Ellison, and he is easily the event’s biggest betting favorite. With that notion, however, come massive expectations. If he loses, he will become the subject of much mockery, which he may take long to overcome given his stature.
Heavyweight has been seen as a poor division over the past few years. Josh Hokit is gradually changing that perspective by being both a good fighter and a big character. Steveson surpasses him in terms of fighting ability, but time will tell if he can also captivate fans with a larger-than-life personality.
UFC 329 is widely seen as an event being carried by its main event, but that notion is not entirely true.
While McGregor is indeed the biggest name on the card, the various names mentioned in this article deserve attention as well. Obviously, there is Steveson and his own global profile. Pimblett has been a cult favorite as well, thanks to his affability. Wang will pull in Chinese viewership, and Cortez has her fair share of “simps” who will ogle her.
At any rate, Saturday should shape up to be not just another landmark event, but the potential end of an era…
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