On To The Next One: What’s Next For Max Holloway, Conor McGregor, Paddy Pimblett After UFC 329?

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**Mike Heck** (1:01)
You're listening to the Vox Media Podcast Network.
Well, hello there, everybody. Hope you're all doing fantastic. And welcome to a brand new edition of On To The Next One, where the matchmaking hats have returned following UFC 329, which was, I don't know how we're gonna remember this event. I mean, I think we're obviously gonna remember one big moment, but there were several big moments that happened. This was trending on being at worst in the conversation for the best UFC event ever. Like, we were just rolling here. We had so many big moments. And then the main event happened. Conor McGregor makes the walk, steps into the octagon to face Max Holloway. The fight begins. And then seconds later, it was a disaster. Conor McGregor injures his leg, tries a wild kick. There's all sorts of different thoughts. And was he injured earlier? Was he this? Was he that?
We have a lot to talk about following UFC 329 We'll do so from a matchmaking perspective on the program. A little bit of reaction as well. But I, Mike Heck, still here in Las Vegas, at least for the next few hours. And joining me to do some matchmaking, as he always does, is the co-host, the co-matchmaker, the Prince of Positivity. And my best friend, where is he? There he is, the great AK Alexander K. Lee. AK, how we doing? How we feeling?

**Alexander K. Lee** (2:43)
My best friend, we're feeling good, man. We're feeling good. That was a really good card. That was a really good card. Of course, your mileage may vary, depending on how you felt about the main event. Certainly, I think a disappointment, just whether you're a fan of Conor McGregor or not, whether you're a fan of Max Holloway. But those of us who were expecting an exciting fight, because look, I can't stand Conor McGregor the person.
We know very well outside of the cage transgressions. So from that aspect, I was fine with never seeing the man fight again. But there's no question that historically, McGregor fight nights have been pretty entertaining and he's usually delivered in the cage. If you're just looking from a purely business standpoint, Conor McGregor fights are exciting. He's been at the center of some of the most exciting MMA moments of the past 20 years. I mean, I just think objectively that's true, unless you truly, truly, truly cannot stand the man.
So Saturday's main event, a lot of hype, a lot of buildup to it, did not come close to living up to that. Was certainly quite the scene though, and gave us in the media, and I think the MMA fan base, a lot to talk about.

**Mike Heck** (3:50)
That's, that's saying the least.
And we had so many questions heading in. And I think we would have had like a bunch more coming out of Conor one. And I think like, there were so many options that could have been yeses, right? Like, oh, we could do this, we could do this, and all of them make sense. With it ending like this, I don't know what to do with Conor McGregor, actually, I think I do know what to do with Conor McGregor, and we'll get there in a moment, but like, let's just get right into it, AK, okay?
Max Holloway, no matter how you look at it, no matter how it all went down, it is going to go down in the books and in your local newspapers as Max Holloway defeated Conor McGregor via TKO. That's what it's going to look like. You go on topology, that's what it says. TKO, Max Holloway wins. Max Holloway also said at the Post Fight Press Conference, Hey, I already fought in March. I just did this and I came out on Skaith and he was grateful for that. But he's like, I owe my family some more time. I owe them all this as I was preparing for essentially back-to-back camps, including a fight with the biggest name, biggest star in the history of the sport. I didn't fight until 2027, so don't get too excited. I'm not bouncing back this year. You probably won't see me until March of next year.