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Conor McGregor's UFC 329 injury is the 'most disappointing moment in combat sports history,' says Sean O'Malley: 'I feel like I'm in shock"

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3 weeks ago

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Conor McGregor's UFC 329 injury is the 'most disappointing moment in combat sports history,' says Sean O'Malley: 'I feel like I'm in shock"

Sean O'Malley is in disbelief that Conor McGregor's UFC return ended before it ever got going.

McGregor made his long-anticipated comeback fight this past Saturday, but it didn't feel like a true bout. Early in the UFC 329 main event against Max Holloway, McGregor went for a jumping kick that appeared to blow out his knee. Holloway and McGregor knew something was off right away, and the referee eventually ended the fight.

O'Malley was hoping for a fun ending to International Fight Week, but it wasn't meant to be. Assessing the situation on his YouTube channel, the “Suga†show said this latest comeback journey might be the toughest one McGregor has ever faced.

“I feel like I'm in shock,†O'Malley said. “I'm so sad right now. I was gonna try to f*cking black out. I was just gonna chug [Proper Twelve]. I was trying to get faded on the pot. As much as I wanted Conor to win, I would rather have seen him lose because, dude, talk about battling demons. Conor battles demons. This is gonna be harder to battle, maybe, it's hard to quantify, than if he would've went out there and lost a close fight, or even getting finished later in the fight.â€

As far as those who were looking forward to seeing how McGregor would look in his return, O'Malley said there isn't any sugarcoating how much of a bust the outcome turned out to be.

“This has got to be 100 percent the most disappointing moment in combat sports history,†O'Malley said.

UFC CEO Dana White told media members that the expectation is that McGregor blew out his ACL. That would mean another fight in 2026 would be ruled out for “Mystic Mac,†although the final bout on his UFC contract is scheduled to take place in 2027. Obviously, the time frame for McGregor's next fight will depend on the official diagnosis and his recovery process.

Is the UFC 329 rematch between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway the most disappointing result in MMA history? Sound off in the comments below.

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MMA

UFC Belgrade Bonus Report: Navajo Stirling one of four 'POTN' winners

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17 hours ago

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August 1, 2026

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UFC Belgrade Bonus Report: Navajo Stirling one of four 'POTN' winners
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Conor McGregor didn't want to fight at UFC 329, says Din Thomas

The Octagon headed to Serbia for today's UFC Belgrade event, and four fighters wound up taking home performance bonuses.

This afternoon's event was headlined by a welterweight matchup between surging division contenders Uros Medic and Daniel Rodriguez. The contest proved to be a short-lived affair. Medic was able to rock Rodriguez in the early seconds with a 3-punch combination and then sent him crashing to the canvas with a body kick. From there, ‘The Doctor' proceeded to land another kick to the body of ‘D-Rod', this before ultimately finishing the contest with ground and pound. The fight itself lasted just 30-seconds and marked Uros Medic's fourth straight first-round stoppage victory.

UFC Belgrade was co-headlined by a highly anticipated light heavyweight bout featuring former champion Jan Blachowicz taking on Navajo Stirling. The high-stakes matchup resulted in a coming out party for the rising contender Navajo Stirling. The undefeated 28-year-old was able to rock Jan Blachowicz with a massive right hand early in the opening round and quickly proceeded to finish the former champion with some nasty punches and elbows. The impressive first-round finish improved Stirling's undefeated record to 11-0 and puts him right into title contention at 205lbs.

Following the conclusion of today's event, UFC officials announced at the post-fight press conference that four fighters would be taking home $100k performance bonuses.

Performance of the night: Uros Medic earned an extra $100k for his sensational 30-second TKO victory over Daniel Rodriguez in today's UFC Belgrade main event (see that here).

Performance of the night: Navajo Stirling pocketed an extra $100k for his impressive first-round TKO victory over former division champion Jan Blachowicz in today's co-headliner (see that here).

Performance of the night: Gilbert Urbina earned an extra $100k for his first-round TKO victory over Vlasto Cepo (see that here).

Performance of the night: Nina Milosevic pocketed an extra $100k for her first-round body shot finish of Hailey Cowan (see that here).

Are you surprised by any of the performance bonuses handed out by Dana White and company following the conclusion of today's UFC Belgrade event? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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Uros Medic lays waste to Daniel Rodriguez in just 30 seconds, calls out Leon Edwards after UFC Belgrade main event

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18 hours ago

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August 1, 2026

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Uros Medic lays waste to Daniel Rodriguez in just 30 seconds, calls out Leon Edwards after UFC Belgrade main event

Uros Medic delivered another devastating first-round finish but this one bigger than any other for him personally as he did it in front of his home audience in the UFC Belgrade main event.

The always exciting welterweight needed just 30 seconds to deliver an emphatic knockout after he caught Daniel Rodriguez with a lightning quick left followed by a nasty right behind it that put the American down on the canvas. Medic continued dropping bombs from the top until referee Jason Herzog had to rescue Rodriguez to end the fight.

The official stoppage came at just 30 seconds into the opening round.

Afterwards, Medic was understandably emotional as the crowd chanted his name after the stunning victory.

“It's been a really rough couple of weeks since I arrived,†Medic explained after the win. “I couldn't feel like home even though I was on home soil. Now we got the job done and I just want to cry. I missed home so much.

“I'm going to cook the rest of this division. With you guys by my side, we are going to bring the belt to Serbia!â€

Quickly becoming one of the most must-see fighters in the UFC, Medic looked calm and poised to strike as soon as the fight started. He set up his combination as he stepped into throw the left hand that clipped Rodriguez and he immediately had the right hand cocked behind it.

Once that right hand landed, Rodriguez went down and there was little chance he was getting up again. Medic just unloaded on him with punches and the referee had no choice but to stop the fight before Rodriguez suffered further damage.

Now riding a five-fight win streak — all by first round knockout — Medic has designs on taking out a former champion in his next fight, which is the same opponent he called for after he knocked out Geoff Neal in his last outing.

“Listen there's guys I'd love to fight like Carlos Prates, he's way ahead of me in the division but that would be a fight to remember,†Medic said. “I asked for Leon Edwards, I think he's still in hiding. If he decides to come out of the hole he shoved himself into, I'll gladly be next to knock him out.â€

No matter who is next, Medic has clearly announced himself as a real player at welterweight and if he can continue this win streak, he's going to be knocking on the door of title contention sooner than later.

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MMA

Pros react after Uros Medic destroys Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Belgrade

Published

18 hours ago

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August 1, 2026

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Pros react after Uros Medic destroys Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Belgrade
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REPORT: Charles Oliveira set to defend BMF title in UFC 331 headliner

Today's UFC Belgrade event was headlined by a welterweight bout featuring Uros Medic taking on Daniel Rodriguez.

Medic (14-3 MMA) had entered today's main event on a three-fight winning streak, this after scoring first-round finishes over Gilbert Urbina, Muslim Salikhov and Geoff Neal in his most recent efforts. The surging Serbian had gone 4-1 over his past five Octagon appearances prior to today's affair.

Meanwhile, Daniel Rodriguez (20-6 MMA) had also enter today's headliner on a 3-fight winning streak. ‘D-Rod' had most previously competed inside of the cage last July at UFC 318, where he scored a unanimous decision victory over Kevin Holland. That triumph was preceded by a TKO win over Santiago Ponzinibbio in May of 2025.

This afternoon's UFC Belgrade headliner proved to be a short-lived affair. Uros Medic was able to rock Daniel Rodriguez in the early seconds with a 3-punch combination and then sent him crashing to the canvas with a body kick. From there, ‘The Doctor' proceeded to land another kick to the body of ‘D-Rod', this before ultimately finishing the contest with ground and pound. The fight itself lasted just 30-seconds, and marked Uros' fourth straight first-round stoppage victory.

Official UFC Belgrade Results: Uros Medic def. Daniel Rodriguez via TKO (soccer kick to the body and punches) at 0:30 of Round 1

Check out how the pros reacted to ‘Medic vs. Rodriguez below:

Who would you like to see Uros Medic fight next following his 30-second TKO victory over Daniel Rodriguez this afternoon in Serbia? Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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