MMA

Conor McGregor blames 'dry ice' for UFC 329 injury in latest bizarre post-fight comments

Published

3 months ago

July 28, 2026

Conor McGregor blames 'dry ice' for UFC 329 injury in latest bizarre post-fight comments

UFC superstar Conor McGregor's latest post-UFC 329 comments might be his most bizarre yet as he blamed the canvas in the cage.

Conor McGregor's UFC 329 comeback lasted mere seconds after he suffered a right leg injury off the first kick he threw against Max Holloway. After a five-year hiatus from competition, McGregor is back on the sidelines for up to one year as he recovers from a torn ACL and meniscus.

McGregor's injury was arguably the worst-case scenario possible for the UFC superstar's return to the Octagon earlier this month. Despite suffering from the jaws of another stunning defeat, McGregor aims to return to the Octagon in 2027, potentially for a â€˜last dance' against Holloway.

The nature of McGregor's UFC 329 injuries came from a missed spinning kick thrown in the opening seconds of the fight. But according to McGregor, the canvas itself wasn't in ideal condition, and the fight should be overturned to a no contest.

Conor McGregor doubles down on promised 2027 return, blames â€˜dry ice' for injury

In a recent Instagram post, McGregor posted footage of his UFC 329 walkout with an unusual caption.

â€œThe white orange and green machine, mosying on back to the office, up the office!â€ McGregor said.

â€œSorry I'm late, but the dry ice has the cage floor wet. It's a no-contest now chop chop for the champ champ I'll see ya's next year 100%.â€

In the meantime, Holloway is expected to fight at least once before potentially entertaining a trilogy with McGregor next year. Holloway could face another top lightweight contender, potentially Paddy Pimblett, in his return to the cage.

As for what's next for McGregor, he'll look to fully recover from his injuries and resume training in the coming months. Despite many doubting his odds of a successful return, McGregor seems game for it.

Do you predict Conor McGregor will fight in the UFC again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

MMA

16-0 Farid Basharat fires back at Dana White over UFC exit comments

Published

20 minutes ago

October 19, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

16-0 Farid Basharat fires back at Dana White over UFC exit comments

Farid
Basharat is pushing back against suggestions that he was
difficult to work with.

Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana
White addressed Basharat's departure after
UFC Edmonton. White suggested there were reasons beyond the
unbeaten bantamweight's results for the decision not to renew his
contract, prompting a response.

Farid Basharat denies refusing UFC fights, cites Victor Hugo
weight miss and torn MCL

The UFC did not offer Basharat (16-0) a new contract despite his
7-0 promotional record. After White raised difficulties with
matchmakers and declined fights as possible reasons for such
departures, â€œFerociousâ€ reiterated that he had never turned down an
opponent and cited instances in which he competed under unfavorable
circumstances.

Basharat pointed to his victory over Victor Hugo, who weighed 145.5
pounds for their originally scheduled bantamweight bout in 2024 â€”
9.5 pounds above the non-title limit. He also said he competed with
a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee during his
Dana White's Contender Series appearance in 2022.

â€œHe kind of alluded to, maybe I was turning down fights, or maybe I
was difficult to deal with,â€ Basharat said on Instagram. â€œI
definitely didn't turn nobody down. In fact, we're talking about
the same guy that, in Abu Dhabi, I fought in 2024; my opponent
missed weight by 10 pounds and I still went ahead with the fightâ€¦
Still put on a good show and won. In my Contender Series fight, I
had a torn MCL, still went ahead with the fightâ€¦ These are facts
you can ask your UFC staff; you can ask the physio team.â€

MMA

Dana White won't give reason for undefeated fighter's head-scratching UFC exit

Published

14 hours ago

October 18, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Dana White won't give reason for undefeated fighter's head-scratching UFC exit

Zuffa LLC

UFC's decision to forgo re-signing undefeated bantamweight Farid Basharat has been puzzling to some, and Dana White hasn't given a true explanation.

Basharat is 16-0 in his pro MMA career, and he went 7-0 under the UFC banner. Despite his success, he ultimately wasn't offered a contract renewal with the top MMA promotion. Many have speculated that Basharat's streak of decisions led to his free agency.

During a chat with reporters during the UFC Edmonton post-fight presser, White implied that UFC matchmakers usually have a problem with the fighter in these situations, but he didn't give an actual reason for Basharat's case (h/t MMAMania.com).

â€œWhen guys' contracts are up â€” and this isn't the first time this has happened. Either guys aren't good to deal with, or the matchmakers don't want to deal with them, which could be turning down fights or whatever the reasoning is,â€ White said. â€œIf you're 16-0 with 7 wins in the UFC and don't get re-signed, there's definitely a reason.â€

â€œFerociousâ€ last competed back in June on the preliminary portion of UFC 329. That card was headlined by the short-lived and disappointing return of Conor McGregor, who suffered ACL and meniscus injuries during his rematch against Max Holloway. Basharat defeated John Garza at the event via unanimous decision.

Decision victories had become a trend for Basharat at the end of his UFC run. His last five wins have gone the distance. Despite not having a a finish since Sept. 2023, Basharat isn't considered a boring fighter across the board. Whether or not he ran into problems with UFC matchmakers remains to be seen.

What do you make of UFC's decision to not offer Farid Basharat's a contract renewal? Do you think Basharat simply lacked the entertainment value and marketability? Join in on the conversation by sharing your opinion in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

MMA

Movsar Evloev thinks UFC 333 fight with Alexander Volkanovski could be 1st UFC finish: ‘Why not?’

Published

16 hours ago

October 18, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

Movsar Evloev thinks UFC 333 fight with Alexander Volkanovski could be 1st UFC finish: ‘Why not?’

Movsar Evloev knows fans want to see him win a fight without the scorecards. He could make it happen against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333.

This Saturday in Abu Dhabi, the undefeated Evloev makes the walk to the octagon for the biggest fight of his life as he challenges Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title. Evloev is 20-0 as a pro, 10-0 since making his UFC debut in 2019, so it's fair to say he's earned his shot the hard way. One reason why it may have taken so long for the matchmakers to come around on Evloev is his lack of finishes, as he's yet to score a knockout or submission in the promotion.

UFC 333 would be the perfect time for his first.

â€œMaybe my fighting style [made it take longer than I expected], but still the most important thing is still winning the fight,â€ Evloev told MMA Fighting's JosÃ© Youngs. â€œNow, I feel like I'm getting better and I've got more abilities to finish the fights and we were working on that since I won my last fight. Even before, it was always fun to finish opponents, but I had tough opponents. None of them is easy to finish. Even just to win them is already a big deal, right?

â€œNow, maybe my first finish in my first title fight, why not? I have everything to do that.â€

Evloev has also been plagued by bouts of inactivity, but when fight night rolls around, he's delivered, scoring victories over numerous ranked opponents. His past four wins have come against Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, and Diego Lopes, the latter of whom went on to leapfrog Evloev and meet Volkanovski in a pair of title fights.

That success has kept Evloev in the UFC's good graces, even without a standout highlight reel, which can't be said for some notable departures in the past few years, including the undefeated Farid Basharat, who was recently allowed to walk despite a 16-0 record. Evloev was asked for his thoughts on quality fighters not being kept on the roster, and he believes winning still matters.

â€œI have zero finishes in the UFC, but I'm still in UFC and I'm fighting for the title, so that means that not just finishes is important,â€ Evloev said. â€œTo show a good fight is also important. Even if you have no finishes, you can show good fight, exciting fight. You can show the beauty of wrestling and there is not just fans of MMA who just wait for blood and something crazy, there are so many good fans who know MMA and they understand and maybe because of them I'm still in the UFC.â€

Volkanovski has suggested Evloev's wrestling won't be enough to beat him, and that the challenger will eventually have to throw down if he hopes to dethrone the two-time champion. For now, Evloev isn't taking the bait, and he's planning to stay the course with tactics that have paid major dividends so far.

Tactics that might just lead to him taking Volkanovski out inside the distance anyway.

â€œI have a responsibility,â€ Evloev said. â€œMy whole republic, my whole country waiting for me to bring that title. OK, so for me, all of this is more important than just my ego, so maybe I will take the belt and then we will play around, like taking risks or something.â€

â€œEven if I knock him out, not because my wrestling doesn't work, but because it works very good, so I will make him tired,â€ he added. â€œThen, when I feel, OK we can knock him out, then I will try and knock him out. But he's saying he will take my confidence. Nobody can.â€