Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions enjoyed a hugely successful debut MMA event, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano in a stacked card that generated massive attention across the combat sports world. While Rousey secured her first victory in a decade, the night also delivered several standout moments, including Francis Ngannou once again showcasing his terrifying power with a brutal knockout win over Philipe Lins in under five minutes.
Elsewhere, Mike Perry dogwalked Nate Diaz for two rounds before doctors stepped in to stop the fight. With millions tuning in on Netflix, the event gave many fans the feeling that the UFC finally had legitimate competition after years of dominance. That pressure seemed even more evident when Dana White officially announced Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return, confirming that the Irish superstar will face Max Holloway at 170 pounds in the main event of UFC 329 during International Fight Week.
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However, the timing of the announcement quickly became a major talking point. The reveal came during the UFC Vegas 117 broadcast and coincided with Ngannou’s walkout for his featured bout against Lins on Netflix’s Rousey vs. Carano card. As Ngannou made his entrance to the cage, White suddenly went live on social media to unveil the UFC 329 lineup, including McGregor’s return after a five-year layoff for a rematch against Holloway.
The event is scheduled for July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Many fans viewed the move as a deliberate attempt by the UFC to pull attention away from Paul’s debut MMA card. Social media instantly erupted as the focus shifted from MVP’s Netflix event to McGregor vs. Holloway 2 within seconds, with midnight ET suddenly becoming one of the biggest moments of the night.
White, however, completely dismissed the idea that the timing was intentional. Speaking after Saturday’s Brand Risk 14 event at the Meta APEX, a card headlined by former Heisman Trophy winner-turned-NFL draft bust Johnny Manziel, who scored a first-round TKO victory over social media personality Bob Menery in an amateur 205-pound MMA bout, White addressed the accusations directly after being asked whether the UFC planned the announcement to sabotage Ngannou’s momentum on Netflix.
In an interview with Fred Talks Fighting, he said, “Not a coincidence, I had a fucking fight here that night. Anybody who thinks that I gave a shit what was going on anywhere else is out of their fucking minds.”
According to White, the timing of the announcement had nothing to do with outside events and everything to do with the deal finally being completed. He added, “We announced it as soon as we got it done, and we were in the middle of our event. I don’t give a fuck what those guys are doing. Are you kidding me?”
Now, the speculation has officially come to an end as McGregor’s long-awaited UFC return is finally confirmed. For more than five years, MMA fans questioned whether the former two-division champion would ever step inside the Octagon again after suffering a gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight at UFC 264. His absence from the upcoming White House card had only intensified the uncertainty surrounding his fighting future, making the UFC 329 announcement an even bigger shock to the MMA world.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.