Belal
Muhammad believes Max
Holloway should initially play it really safe against Conor
McGregor.

McGregor (22-6) returns to action after a five-year hiatus from the

Ultimate Fighting Championship in a welterweight matchup
against Holloway (27-9) in the main event of
UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. While Muhammad foresees
a striking-heavy bout, he believes Holloway should be the one to
initiate wrestling against the returning former two-division
champion.

Belal Muhammad explains why Max Holloway should wrestle Conor
McGregor early at UFC 329

Muhammad notes that McGregor’s form, speed and power are unknown
after his long layoff. The former welterweight champion believes
“Notorious†could still pose a serious knockout threat in the first
two to three minutes, especially considering his move up to 170
pounds.

The 37-year-old also believes the Irish superstar's gas tank, which
was an issue even in his prime, will be an even bigger factor
now.

“I think that first three or four minutes, McGregor's gonna come
out hot,†Muhammad said on his YouTube channel. “When he was at the
top, his cardio was a problem. So now, five years off, extra
muscle, higher weight class, I think his cardio's gonna be even a
bigger problem.â€

According to Muhammad, Holloway should clinch and wrestle McGregor
early in the fight to just stay safe.

“I think probably the person that should initiate grappling should
be Holloway… [McGregor] has definitely added a lot of muscle on his
body. His cardio is gonna get drained,†he added. “So, for
Holloway, I would definitely add in a takedown to wear on him. To
get past the first three to four minutes.â€

Daniel
Cormier not only saw his national team crash out of the FIFA
World Cup but also lost a bet to Paddy
Pimblett.

The
Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer had bet $1,000 on
the U.S. to defeat Belgium in the Round of 16 knockout stage of the
FIFA World Cup. However, the co-hosts were knocked out via a 1-4
loss to Belgium and Cormier has paid his dues after meeting
Pimblett in Las Vegas ahead of
UFC 329.

Daniel Cormier pays Paddy Pimblett after losing FIFA World Cup
bet

Cormier admittedly let the hype get the better of him after the
U.S. defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32. The
former UFC double champ immediately paid Pimblett in cash, saying,
“I was filled with unnecessary confidence watching us beat Bosnia
and Herzegovina. Sh*t! Bro, I owe you money. I owe you $1,000.â€

They are both in Las Vegas, with UFC 329 set to go down at T-Mobile
Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 11. Pimblett will look to
return to winning ways after suffering the first loss of his UFC
career earlier this year, against Justin
Gaethje. The Englishman will square off against French
lightweight Benoit St.
Denis in the co-main event. Cormier returns to the commentary
booth for the upcoming numbered event.

Cormier has previously made several bold claims about American
soccer. While the USA is yet to cement its legacy in the sport,
“DC†believes his country would have dominated if it were as
prominent as basketball or American football stateside. In another
conversation with Pimblett, he claimed that MLS would surpass the
English Premier League if the best American athletes committed to
soccer.

A man of his word ðŸ¤ðŸ’°@PaddyTheBaddy
& @DC_MMA
had a friendly wager on USA vs Belgium!

[ #UFC329
LIVE JULY 11 at 9pmET on @ParamountPlus
] pic.twitter.com/IvsIFTPIty

— UFC (@ufc) July
7, 2026

Brandon
Royval has been serving his community for half a decade.

The
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight recently revealed that
he has been volunteering for five years at the Denver Dream Center,
a non-profit organization that helps youth from troubled
backgrounds rebuild their lives.

Brandon Royval's Denver Dream Center volunteer work before UFC
329

Royval feels privileged to have built personal relationships with
less-fortunate kids and watched them grow into young adults. The
former title challenger said in the
UFC 329 “Embedded†video series:

“The Dream Center is – we pick up the kids in the local area,
normally the lower-income area. We bring them, feed them, just
create relationships, and check up on everybody… Five years I've
been a volunteer there. And it's cool cause most of the kids are in
middle school or high school. So I've watched them become young
adults and handle adversity. So it's been really cool and a real
privilege.â€

Bryan Sederwall, the pastor at the Denver Dream Center, says Royval
has been consistent for the past five years. Sederwall claims “Raw
Dawg†always keeps his commitments to kids, even if he has a fight
coming up.

Royval (17-9) is set to collide with Lone'er
Kavanagh in a flyweight matchup at UFC 329, which goes down at
T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 11. He will look to
rebound from back-to-back losses against Joshua Van
and Manel Kape.
Meanwhile, Kavanagh (10-1) is coming off a unanimous decision win
over former champion Brandon
Moreno that saw him bounce back from his first professional
loss.