The current
Professional Fighters League champion claims Rousey had every
opportunity to accept a super-fight during her prime but chose not
to.
The history behind the UFC superfight fans wanted between Cris
Cyborg and Ronda Rousey
Cyborg reflected on her rivalry with Rousey in a new interview with
Sherdog’s Marcelo Alonso ahead of her retirement bout against
Ketlen
Vieira at
PFL Tampa. The Brazilian legend also noted that if "Rowdy"
wouldn’t fight her when they were both active and winning, she
definitely wouldn’t accept a fight now.
“That was something the fans put together. Ronda had the
opportunity to fight me when she was at her peak, and she didn't
want to,” Cyborg explained of a fan-made poster that was rumored to
be genuine. “If she didn't want it in her prime, imagine now.”
She also emphasized that their rivalry was based on Rousey’s fear
instead of mutual animosity.
“I think fear eventually turned into rivalry,” she added. “I never
did anything to her. In fact, Dana himself used to say that once
Ronda beat Holly, her next fight would be against Cyborg. But then
she lost, got really upset, decided to retire, and now she's back
alongside Gina.”
Rousey put together a stellar 12-0 record and compiled seven title
defenses in the UFC before getting finished in back-to-back bouts
against Holly Holm
and Amanda
Nunes, which marked the beginning of a 10-year hiatus from MMA.
The former UFC champion returned to winning ways against Gina Carano
earlier this year under the
Most Valuable Promotions banner.
UFC 329 took place Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, featuring the return of Conor McGregor – which didn't amount to much.
In the main event, McGregor was set to face Max Holloway in a rematch 13 years in the making, and everyone was robbed of an opportunity to see the fight develop due to an injury on the first action from the Irishman. The fight would have had little-to-no impact on the rankings, but there was action on the undercard that caused movement.
In the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett made a huge statement by submitting Benoit Saint Denis in the opening minute with a unique submission he dubbed "The Pad-Tie." Pimblett climbs from No. 9 to No. 7, while BSD falls one spot to No. 8.
Also on the main card, Mario Bautista got one back on Cory Sandhagen, causing a shift in the bantamweight rankings. As a result of a swap, Bautista is the new No. 5, while Sandhagen falls to No. 6.
Monday's edition of MMA Junkie Radio with "Gorgeous" George and "Goze" is here.
On Episode 3,685, the fellas break down everything that went on at UFC 329 and the fallout from Conor McGregor's debacle of a return after five years. They also bring on guest Austin Bashi, who fights Saturday at UFC Oklahoma City. Tune in!
UFC 329 was full of surprises on Saturday night, from the disastrous Conor McGregor comeback to Paddy Pimblett blowing through Benoit Saint Denis in less than one minute.
But before Pimblett stole the show in the co-main event, it was WNBA fan favorite Sophie Cunningham who generating buzz and trending on social media.
Cunningham, who became a star thanks to her role as Caitlin Clark’s enforcer on the Indiana Fever, made an unexpected cameo as a UFC ring girl before the start of the co-main event. Cunningham walked around the Octagon to signal Round 1, and then dropped her viral finger point taunt.
At the post-fight press conference, UFC boss Dana White explained how the Cunningham cameo came to fruition, saying it was a last-minute decision that was made on a whim “about eight minutes before she did it.”
Dana White says he hired Sophie Cunningham as the ring girl “about 8 mins before she did it” pic.twitter.com/CF4aRQ49LC
“We’ve created a relationship, and she was here tonight. “When she walked in, she goes, “Oh, I want to walk around that.’ I said, ‘Then you’re gonna walk around it.'”
Cunningham was in Las Vegas ahead of the Fever’s Sunday night showdown with the A’ja Wilson and the Aces at Michelob ULTRA Arena in primetime. Let’s hope that things go better for Cunningham and the Fever than they did for the UFC in the main event on Saturday night.
Tip-off is set for 9:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham works as a ring girl during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
While MMA fans finally received their long-awaited wish to see Conor McGregor back in the cage, the joy was short-lived after the fighter went down with an injury in the opening round.
Shortly after the opening bell, McGregor ran right at Max Holloway in the center of the Octagon. The Irishman threw an erratic, off-balance kick toward the Hawaii native, in which his right leg landed awkwardly and pushed forward, causing what many are calling an internal right knee injury. Dana White has stated his belief that McGregor injured his ACL in the mishap.
McGregor initially continued to power through the pain despite Holloway pleading with the referee to give his opponent time because he was visibly injured. However, "The Notorious" was unable to put any weight on that right knee and was forced to call it quits on his return.
Here's the latest after The Notorious' return ended early due to injury.
Holloway defeated McGregor with 3:54 remaining in the first round after the referee was forced to stop the bout. "The Notorious" could not continue due to an apparent knee injury, which the broadcast later shared was "a right internal knee injury." After unleashing just one kick in the opening sequence, McGregor's right leg awkwardly landed on the canvas. After that, the fighter was unable to put any sort of weight on his right leg, and eventually was forced to bow out of his return.
Here is a look at McGregor's kick that caused his lingering injury.
In the ensuing seconds, McGregor hobbled around the cage, with Holloway even asking the referee to stop the fight because the Irishman was obviously injured. Here's when McGregor shook his head at the referee, and forfeited his long-awaited return into the octagon:
A lone positive for McGregor was that tonight's injury occurred on his right leg. In his most recent fight prior to tonight's bout, McGregor broke a part of his left leg, so the damage may have been far more severe had it happened to his opposite leg. Here's a look at McGregor walking out after his defeat:
According to UFC CEO Dana White, McGregor's outlook is far from promising. "We're assuming blown ACL," White said during the postfight press conference. "The doctors think the same thing too."
🚨 Dana White's immediate reaction to Conor McGregor's injury:
"I was expecting AT LEAST a one round war... We're assuming blown ACL. The doctor's think the same thing too." #UFC329pic.twitter.com/yQ5AXEumhD
At the moment, there is no official diagnosis for McGregor's exact injury. That said, the Nortorious One did weigh in hours after the conclusion of the fight via Twitter.
My head gasket is gone. Destroyed. I had no injury / injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.
This is not the first time The Notorious has been injured inside the Octagon. Here is McGregor's injury history:
Date
Injury
Opponent
Time until next fight
Aug. 17, 2013
Torn ACL
Max Holloway
11 months
July 10, 2021
Broken tibia
Dustin Poirier
5 years
July 12, 2026
TBD
Max Holloway
TBD
Will Conor McGregor ever fight again?
At the moment, it does not look likely that McGregor will ever step foot into the Octagon again. The former all-time great appears to have another road to recovery ahead after injuring himself for the second-straight fight.
At this stage of his career, tonight's fight was most likely McGregor's final time strapping into the gloves in the UFC.
UFC 329 provided an exciting night of fights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, but the event came to an unfortunate end when Conor McGregor suffered a knee injury to prematurely end his highly anticipated comeback to the Octagon.
McGregor rushed Max Holloway seconds into the fight and threw a leaping kick, before coming up limp after an awkward landing. From there, the former two-division champ struggled to keep his footing and the fight was ultimately called off by referee Mike Beltran just over a minute into the bout.
A video of McGregor appearing to lose his footing while taking off his shoes before entering the Octagon sparked the theory, and the UFC answered by sharing their own video of McGregor’s pre-fight warm-up. In that video, McGregor is seens warming up by throwing kicks similar to what he opened up his bout against Holloway with, and showing no signs of having a compromised knee.
Will that be enough to quiet the conspiracies? Probably not, despite video from the actual fight showing McGregor’s knee buckle from an awkward landing. It won’t be until an official diagnosis is confirmed that we will learn more about where everything went wrong.
“My head gasket is gone,” McGregor wrote on X. “Destroyed. I had no injury/injuries going into the fight. I was throwing kicks, planted and jumping, all throughout camp as well as backstage before the fight. This came out of nowhere. I am beyond dark here. I can only describe it as hell.
“I was so sharp and so ready for this fight I cannot believe what has happened. The talk of me being off while walking in to the fight is nonsense. I was calm, ready, and confident. I am in shock what has taken place. The devil is literally staring at me right in front of my face here. I am not engaging. I will be at church tomorrow.”
Jul 11, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Conor McGregor (left) attempts to get up after falling against Max Holloway during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
As McGregor now prepares to recover from his latest leg injury, we’ll have to wait and see whether this is the last we have seen of the former two-division champion inside of the cage.
Holloway, meanwhile, will now have to decide whether he wants to wait for a potential McGregor trilogy fight in 2027, or whether he will make another run at UFC gold.
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