Conor McGregor returns after five years off to face Max Holloway at welterweight in tonight's UFC 329 main event at T-Mobile Arena. Here is the full grappling breakdown and why this card matters for BJJ fans.
Reviewed by BJJ Gyms · Updated 2026-07-27
Data from CBS Sports UFC 329 schedule coverage and MMA Mania fight preview for the Pimblett vs. Saint Denis matchup.
When Conor McGregor and Max Holloway first met at UFC Fight Night 26 in August 2013, McGregor was an emerging contender and Holloway was a teenager making his way through the featherweight division. McGregor won that fight by unanimous decision. More than a decade later, both fighters have transformed the sport in different ways, and their rematch at welterweight on tonight's UFC 329 card carries far more weight than the original.
McGregor's five-year absence from competition is the central unknown in this matchup. His BJJ and striking credentials remain elite on paper, with a triangle choke finish of Nate Diaz among the standout moments of his career. But MMA careers age in unusual ways, and the question of ring rust after such an extended absence, combined with the natural physical changes of a fighter now competing at welterweight rather than featherweight, creates genuine uncertainty.
Holloway, meanwhile, has fought at a relentless pace throughout the time McGregor was away. His striking output, cardio, and technical evolution have made him one of the most complete fighters in the sport. His wrestling defense has improved, and his ability to weather early pressure before turning up the pace in later rounds is a significant tactical asset. For BJJ fans watching tonight, the grappling question is whether McGregor can avoid the extended exchanges that favor Holloway's attrition-based game.
The co-main event between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis is one of the most grappling-rich matchups on tonight's card. Pimblett is a second-degree BJJ black belt who has finished ten career opponents by submission, with a particular comfort in inverted guard positions and triangle setups from guard. His ground game is genuinely elite even if his takedown defense at 44 percent leaves room for opponents to get him down.
Saint Denis is a wrestling-heavy fighter who wants to take the fight to the floor, put Pimblett in uncomfortable positions, and grind out damage. The grappling tension in this fight is precisely the balance between Saint Denis needing to be aggressive enough with his wrestling to create top position, while being careful enough not to give Pimblett the space to set up the submissions he is most dangerous with. Walking that line is easier said than done against a legitimate BJJ black belt who has proven he can flip bad positions into finishes.
If Pimblett ends up on his back tonight, watch where Saint Denis chooses to settle. High posture in guard with active passing attempts keeps Pimblett occupied defensively. Stalling in mount or north-south lets Pimblett breathe and think. The fighters and their camps will have gamed all of this out, but live execution under pressure is where BJJ technical knowledge translates from training room analysis to actual outcomes.
Among the storylines on the UFC 329 card, Gable Steveson's UFC debut is the one most relevant to anyone who follows the grappling world beyond MMA. Steveson won Olympic gold in freestyle wrestling at 125 kilograms in Tokyo, followed by another gold at the 2022 World Championships. His explosive, scramble-heavy wrestling style is unlike anything most MMA coaches prepare for in a typical training cycle.
The translation from wrestling to MMA is not automatic. Wrestling provides unmatched positional control and takedown offense, but MMA adds striking, back-takes, and submission defense that pure wrestlers have to develop rapidly. The careers of Henry Cejudo, Daniel Cormier, and Khabib Nurmagomedov show the ceiling that elite wrestlers can reach when the BJJ and striking sides of the game are developed alongside the wrestling base.
Steveson's debut is worth watching for the grappling practitioner because his level of wrestling is simply not something most opponents have encountered before. How he handles the transition to MMA rules, whether he can maintain wrestling control when opponents can throw elbows and post, and whether his ground-and-pound game is developed enough to capitalize on his takedowns are the open questions. UFC 329 provides the first live answers.
UFC International Fight Week, which UFC 329 anchors, is among the highest-visibility moments in combat sports each year. Las Vegas fills with practitioners, fans, and new people who have just decided they want to try training. For BJJ gyms in particular, Fight Week events correlate with enrollment spikes as the casual sports fan becomes curious about what grappling actually involves beyond what they see on television.
If you are reading this because tonight's card got you curious about Brazilian jiu-jitsu, that curiosity translates into action most effectively by finding a gym and trying an introductory class. The techniques you see fighters use in competition, guard sweeps, back takes, submission entries, are the same ones taught in beginner classes at a good BJJ gym. The competition context makes them look more violent than the learning environment, but the foundational movements are accessible to anyone starting from zero.
Use our gym finder to locate a BJJ school near you that offers a free trial class. Most gyms in the 10th Planet system run specifically no-gi classes that are particularly relevant to the submission grappling you are watching in MMA, and they welcome complete beginners.
Beyond who wins, here are the specific technical moments that will define how each major fight on the card plays out from a BJJ and wrestling perspective:
BJJ Gyms is an independent directory, not a gym. We feature 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu as our recommended no-gi system. Always take a free trial and vet any academy yourself before committing.
UFC 329 takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11, 2026. The main card streams on Paramount+ with the main event expected in the late evening hours PT.
The rematch is at welterweight (170 lbs), a higher weight class than their 2013 fight at featherweight. Both fighters have moved up in class since their first meeting.
Use our gym finder tool on this site to locate a BJJ school close to you. Most gyms offer a free introductory class, and you do not need any prior experience to walk in and try.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is the grappling foundation that most MMA fighters train alongside wrestling and striking. The guard positions, submissions, and escapes you see in UFC fights are the same techniques taught in beginner BJJ classes, just applied under pressure and with different rules.