Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Michael
Chandler has shut down claims that Conor
McGregor went into
UFC 329 knowing that he was injured, insisting that the
Irishman still wants to fight him.

McGregor's return following a five-year hiatus ended in
disappointment as he suffered a knee injury seconds into his
rematch with Max
Holloway at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While the former
two-division champion is set for another stint on the sidelines as
he recovers from the injury, Chandler sees McGregor eventually
returning to the Octagon, potentially against him.

Michael Chandler explains why he believes Conor McGregor wanted
to compete at UFC 329

After McGregor's return to the UFC ended in anticlimactic fashion,
Chandler came to his defense. The former Bellator
MMA champion dismissed the claim that McGregor had an injury
going into UFC 329.

“I would be absolutely surprised, like the most surprised on the
planet, if Conor just showed up for a paycheck, limped in there and
said, ‘I don't care, I'll give you guys one minute, shave my head
into a mohawk, show up, do the intros and then just bow out a
minute later,'†Chandler said in an Instagram post. “You can say
what you want about Conor, but one thing he is not, is a quitter,
one thing he is not, is a bamboozler. The body is unpredictable and
every fight is unpredictable and if you look at Conor, (he always
comes out with a kick),†he added.

Chandler, who is yet to face McGregor despite starring opposite the
Irishman on “The Ultimate Fighter†and being booked against him
previously, still believes that “Notorious†wants to fight him
after their 2024 bout was canceled.

“I believe he wants to fight me; I believe he tried to fight me; I
believe that's how the negotiations went, other plans were made,
but the honor and the integrity of wanting to stick to and be a man
of his word since he pulled out of that fight back in 2024,†he
explained. “I know everyone is disappointed, but keep on watching;
this ain't the last you're gonna see of Conor McGregor and I'm
excited to see how it plays out.â€

McGregor has one fight left in his UFC contract. He has confirmed
that he will undergo surgery for his knee injury, insisting that he
will return to fight out his contract.

Benoit St. Denis had a rough outing at UFC 329. | 📷:
Getty/UFC

---

Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight Benoit St.
Denis has released a statement addressing his loss to Paddy
Pimblett.

St. Denis was the betting favorite going into his lightweight
matchup against Pimblett in the co-main event of
UFC 329 in Las Vegas, as he was coming off a four-fight finish
streak while his English counterpart was fresh off his first defeat
in the UFC. However, “The Baddy” took just 52 seconds to put the
Frenchman to sleep and end his win streak.

Benoit St. Denis reflects on his UFC 329 loss and promises a
stronger return

St. Denis apologized to his fans for letting them down after UFC
329. While he admits that the loss is hard to digest, “God of War”
vows to bounce back stronger. He also hopes to avenge his loss to
Pimblett someday.

“Thank you all for your support. I'm sorry for letting you down and
for not delivering the victory we had hoped for,†St. Denis wrote
on X. “This defeat is brutal and hard to swallow, but it's part of
the journey. I learn through trials, I'll draw every lesson from
it, I'll keep working hard, and I'll come back stronger.
Congratulations to Paddy for his performance. I'm convinced that
one day, our paths will cross again. See you soon, BSD.â€

Pimblett (24-4) even accurately predicted that he would choke out
St. Denis (17-4) if the latter shot in for a takedown. Furthermore,
fans and pundits have criticized the latter's game plan, especially
considering how dry fighters are in the very first frame in
contrast to later rounds, when perspiration makes submission
escapes easier.

Merci à toutes et à tous pour votre soutien.
Je suis désolé de vous avoir déçus et de ne pas vous avoir offert
la victoire que nous espérions.

Cette défaite est brutale et difficile à encaisser, mais elle fait
partie du chemin. J’apprends dans l’épreuve, j’en tirerai toutes
les… pic.twitter.com/Ne1v2QdpEE

— Benoît “God of War” Saint Denis (@BenoitSt_Denis)
July 13, 2026

Islam
Makhachev's coach, Javier Mendez, has hailed one of his
students’ ability to mimic Ian Garry
ahead of the upcoming welterweight title clash in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Makhachev (28-1) looks to defend his 170-pound championship for the
first time against Garry (17-1) at UFC
330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Garry
is known for excellent distance management and long-range strikes.
However, Mendez already has who he believes is the perfect fighter
to emulate the Irishman's style in their team.

Islam Makhachev's coach names ‘perfect' Ian Garry training
replica

Mendez is confident that another one of his pupils, Usman
Nurmagomedov, can copy almost any style. The
American Kickboxing Academy head coach recently revealed that
the
Professional Fighters League lightweight champion is one of
Makhachev's primary training partners, closely mimicking Garry's
style.

A middleweight
title fight headlines PFL Austin: Tune on Saturday, July 18 at 8
p.m. ET on ESPN.

“[Usman] is the best sparring partner you want to have,†Mendez
told Submission Radio. “Usman's at another level. People who have
never seen him should tune in to this kid. Because he is special…
Usman would be the one individual that can mimic almost anybody. He
would be the closest to Ian Garry for us.â€

Nurmagomedov (21-0) is considered among the best fighters in the
world competing outside the UFC. He will exhaust his current PFL
contract when he puts his lightweight title on the line against
Archie
Colgan (13-0) on July 31 at UBS Arena in Long Island, New York.
His brother, Umar, is already a top-ranked bantamweight in the
UFC.