McGregor and Holloway pulled apart in Vegas

International Fight Week belongs to Conor McGregor, whose UFC 329 return boiled over into a security-separated staredown with Max Holloway. Away from the McGregor circus, Israel Adesanya cut ties with City Kickboxing after 16 years, the UFC stacked its September Noche card, and ONE ran its latest Lumpinee show.

McGregor and Holloway have to be separated at UFC 329 faceoff

Conor McGregor (22-6) returns for the first time since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021 to face Max Holloway (27-9) in Saturday's UFC 329 main event at T-Mobile Arena, a welterweight rematch of their 2013 featherweight bout. At Thursday's press conference McGregor ripped Holloway's sunglasses off and slapped away his hand, forcing security to pull the pair apart. Holloway is a roughly -225 favorite, though McGregor's price shortened to +170 during fight week. Dana White says the card will produce the UFC's biggest gate in history.

Why it matters: McGregor has one fight left on his contract and is openly eyeing free agency, so this is likely a brief window to cash in the sport's biggest draw; the winner opens up marquee options with Pimblett, Topuria or a welterweight title chase.

Pimblett-Saint-Denis co-main a near pick'em with title stakes

The UFC 329 co-main event pits Paddy Pimblett (23-4) against Benoit Saint-Denis (17-3, 1 NC) in a three-round lightweight bout. Pimblett is rebuilding after his interim title loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 in January, while Saint-Denis rides a four-fight finish streak that includes stoppages of Dan Hooker, Beneil Dariush and Mauricio Ruffy. Saint-Denis opened around -155 but the line has tightened toward a coin flip during fight week. Both fighters said they wanted five rounds; Saint-Denis denied he was the reason the bout stayed at three.

Why it matters: The winner slots into a crowded top five at 155 pounds and could fast-track back into the title conversation, while a Pimblett win keeps his mooted feud with Ilia Topuria alive.

Adesanya splits from City Kickboxing after 16 years

Israel Adesanya announced he has left City Kickboxing and head coach Eugene Bareman, the only camp of his professional career, with the split effective May 20. The 36-year-old former middleweight champion has lost four straight and five of his last six, most recently a second-round TKO to Joe Pyfer in the UFC Seattle headliner in March. Adesanya said he needs focused, individual training rather than competing for coaching attention in a stacked gym, and praised CKB while insisting the move was 'a long time coming.'

Why it matters: A late-career coaching change for one of the division's all-time greats signals how deep his slump has become, and where he lands next will shape whether he has anything left for one more run.

Grasso-Fiorot flyweight eliminator booked for Noche UFC

Former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso (17-5-1) will face Manon Fiorot (13-2) at Noche UFC 4 on Sept. 12 in Glendale, Arizona. Grasso is coming off a brutal knockout of Maycee Barber at UFC Seattle in March that snapped a three-fight winless run, while Fiorot rebounded from her UFC 315 title loss to Valentina Shevchenko with a 74-second TKO of Jasmine Jasudavicius. It is the second bout reported for the card, alongside a heavyweight return for Curtis Blaydes against Waldo Cortes-Acosta.

Why it matters: With Shevchenko idle and Natalia Silva the presumed next challenger, this is effectively a title eliminator to determine who gets the following crack at 125-pound gold.

Pacio defends ONE strawweight title as Folayang eyes farewell

ONE Championship returned to Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok with The Inner Circle 21 and ONE Friday Fights 161. Strawweight MMA champion Joshua Pacio defended his belt against Dagestani contender Mansur Malachiev in a rematch nearly three years in the making. Filipino legend and former lightweight champion Eduard Folayang faced Japanese judoka Shozo Isojima in the co-main event, in what could be the final bout of his career, while 18-year-old Jaradchai Maxjandee chased a $100,000 contract atop the Friday Fights card.

Why it matters: Pacio remains one of ONE's most consistent titleholders, and Folayang's likely send-off marks the end of an era for one of the promotion's foundational stars.

Carrillo crosses to kickboxing as camp demands Tawanchai be stripped

ONE interim featherweight Muay Thai champion Nico Carrillo (30-4) will make a one-off kickboxing debut against Chinese newcomer Zhou Jiaqiang at ONE Fight Night 46 in mid-August at Lumpinee Stadium. Coach JP Gallacher framed the bout as a way to stay active and used it to call on ONE to strip undisputed champion Tawanchai PK Saenchai, who has been sidelined since breaking his leg against Liu Mengyang in December and faces a nine-month-to-a-year recovery.

Why it matters: The stripping debate exposes ONE's logjam at featherweight Muay Thai, where its interim champ is left crossing disciplines to stay busy while the real title sits frozen on an injured star.

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