UFC officially announced Paddy Pimblett vs. Renato Moicano (misidentified as Sén-Denis in Russian) for UFC 329 on July 11. According to Ariel Helwani, UFC plans to book Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor for UFC 329 and Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Garry for UFC 330. Gadzhi Gadzhiev, trainer of Sergei Pavlovich, stated he wants a rematch with Alexander Volkov, claiming Volkov only ran during their fight and Pavlovich just needs a tactical adjustment to win. Anatoly Malykhin explained he won't leave ONE Championship for UFC despite offers, citing loyalty to the promotion and boss who supported him when no one else did. Alex Pereira and Max Holloway will appear on UFC 6 game covers, with Pereira on the base version and Holloway on the deluxe edition.
The UFC has made Paddy Pimblett vs. Renato Moicano official for UFC 329 on July 11, while a pair of high-profile matchups are being planned for later cards according to reporter Ariel Helwani.
Helwani reports the promotion intends to book Max Holloway against Conor McGregor at UFC 329, and Islam Makhachev against Ian Garry at UFC 330. Neither of those two bouts has been officially confirmed.
Holloway, 34, enters any negotiation as one of the sport's most active offensive fighters. Ranked fourth at lightweight and ninth pound-for-pound with a 27-9 record, the Hawaiian lands an eye-catching 7.2 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. He is also set to appear on the deluxe edition cover of the upcoming UFC 6 video game.
Makhachev is the reigning welterweight champion and the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, carrying a 28-1 record at age 34. The Russian competes out of Eagles MMA and is a suffocating grappler, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, while posting an impressive 58 percent striking accuracy.
Elsewhere, the camp of heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich has called for a rematch with Alexander Volkov. Trainer Gadzhi Gadzhiev said Volkov spent their fight avoiding exchanges and argued that a tactical correction would be enough for Pavlovich to come out on top next time. Volkov, ranked first in the heavyweight division, holds a 40-11 record. The 37-year-old Russian stands six-foot-seven with an 80-inch reach and lands 4.78 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Holloway vs. McGregor at UFC 329 would be one of the biggest events in recent memory if confirmed
- A Makhachev title defense against Garry at UFC 330 would test the welterweight champion against a rising contender
- A Pavlovich-Volkov rematch would have direct implications for the top of the heavyweight rankings, with Volkov already sitting at number one
