Sports
Conor McGregor makes long-awaited return vs. Max Holloway at UFC 329
Jan 23, 2021; Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Conor McGregor of Ireland punches Dustin Poirier in a lightweight fight during the UFC 257 event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Bottari/Handout Photo via Imagn Images Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon for the first time in five years when he faces Max Holloway in a five-round welterweight main event on Saturday night at UFC 329, closing out International Fight Week at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor (22-6 MMA) has not competed since sustaining a broken tibia against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021 and has faced several personal setbacks outside of the UFC.
The former two-division champion at featherweight and lightweight was originally scheduled to return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024 to conclude their Ultimate Fighter 31 rivalry after the show aired in 2023. However, a McGregor toe injury forced a postponement and the match was never rescheduled.
McGregor, 37, returns to the welterweight division for the first time in six years. The Irishman is looking to re-establish himself as a title contender while attempting to defeat Holloway for the second time, following a unanimous decision victory over him in Aug. 2013 at a UFC Fight Night event in Boston in McGregor’s second UFC fight.
McGregor said he is grateful for the opportunity to reinvigorate his career and has no immediate plans to change weight divisions after the Holloway rematch.
“The OG champ-champ, coming for the triple crown,” McGregor told reporters at Thursday’s pre-fight press conference. “Sounds like a hell of a story to me.”
Holloway (27-9 MMA) is making his official welterweight debut after a historic run at 145 and 155 pounds over the last decade-plus.
Following the loss of his “BMF” title to former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 326 in March, Holloway, 34, hops to avenge the loss to McGregor and immediately enter the 170-pound title picture should he opt not to return to lightweight.
“We’re gonna find out Saturday night,” Holloway said in response to McGregor’s claim that he won’t “lay a glove” on him.
McGregor said he was not pleased with Holloway’s “disrespectful” comments about offering a potential December rematch, ensuring it won’t be needed.
In response, Holloway fired back, igniting the rivalry even further.
“I’m drowning his ass,” Holloway said.
In the co-main event at lightweight, fifth-ranked Benoit Saint Denis of France faces No. 9 Paddy Pimblett of England in a critical contender fight to help determine who might fight champion Justin Gaethje in the near future.
Saint Denis (17-3 MMA) aims to use his high-level grappling to stall the momentum of Pimblett (23-4 MMA), who enters the fight seeking the highest-ranked victory of his UFC career thus far. In the main event of UFC 324 in January, Pimblett fell short of an interim title, taking a decision loss to Gaethje, who beat Ilia Topuria to become undisputed champion at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
Bantamweights will feature in a high-stakes title eliminator as Cory Sandhagen meets Mario Bautista. Sandhagen (18-6 MMA) looks to secure another title shot with a win, while Bautista (17-3 MMA) seeks the signature win of his career, having won nine of his last 10 fights.
In a fight between two rising flyweight contenders, former title challenger Brandon Royval will test the durability of England’s Lone’er Kavanagh. Royval (17-9 MMA) aims to defend his No. 4 ranking against the fifth-ranked contender, Kavanagh (10-1 MMA), who has built a reputation as a dangerous finisher, with five of his wins coming by KO/TKO or submission.
Veteran lightweight King Green takes on Terrance McKinney to open the Paramount Plus main card. Green (35-17, 1 NC MMA) will try to utilize his boxing-heavy attack against the explosive McKinney (18-8 MMA), who has finished eight UFC victories inside the first round.
The main card gets underway at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount Plus.
Main card (subject to change):
–Welterweight main event: Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway (Five rounds, non-title)
–Lightweight co-main event: Benoit Saint Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett
–Bantamweight: Cory Sandhagen vs. Mario Bautista
–Flyweight: Brandon Royval vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
–Lightweight: King Green vs. Terrance McKinney
–Field Level Media
Sports
Mets score 5 runs in eighth to top Royals
Jul 8, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets second baseman Brett Baty (7) hits a two run single in the eighth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Brett Baty delivered a two-RBI single during a five-run eighth inning Wednesday night for the host New York Mets, who beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.
In a tie game, Royals right-hander Alex Lange (0-4) retired Juan Soto and Bo Bichette on groundouts before Francisco Lindor began the rally with a single. Carson Benge walked and Jorge Polanco legged out an infield single to load the bases for Jared Young, who was hit by a pitch to force home Lindor.
Baty followed four pitches later with his hit to center for a 4-1 lead. Jose Cuas entered and uncorked a wild pitch, which allowed Young to race home. Francisco Alvarez added an RBI single.
Brooks Raley (3-3), the third of four Mets pitchers, allowed one hit a scoreless top of the eighth.
A.J. Ewing hit a leadoff homer and finished with two hits for the Mets, who have won three of four.
New York starter Christian Scott gave up three hits and walked one while striking out five over five scoreless frames.
Salvador Perez tied the game with a run-scoring single in the sixth for the Royals, who had their three-game winning streak snapped. Kansas City scored 36 runs in the three previous victories.
Carter Jensen added an RBI double in the ninth and was one of eight Kansas City players with one hit apiece.
Royals right-hander Steven Cruz, who was serving as an opener for the second time this season, whiffed two while throwing 14 pitches in the first inning. Bulk reliever Randy Dobnak allowed three hits and three walks while striking out two over 5 2/3 scoreless innings.
Ewing hit Cruz’s third pitch over the right-center field fence for the seventh homer of his rookie season and his first leadoff shot.
The Royals mounted just one threat against Scott, who walked Nick Loftin with two outs in the second before Loftin went to third on Isaac Collins’ single. Scott then got Tyler Tolbert to pop out.
Scott allowed just one baserunner over his final three innings before the Royals rallied in the sixth against Tobias Myers. Jac Caglianone hit a one-out double and scored on Perez’s two-out single to left.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michael McGreevy carries Cardinals to win against Brewers
Jul 8, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images Michael McGreevy tossed a season-high 6 1/3 innings Wednesday to get his first win in two months for the St. Louis Cardinals, who snapped a four-game losing streak with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Brewers.
Pitching on his 26th birthday, McGreevy (4-7) received support from Alec Burleson and Jose Fermin, both of whom homered. Burleson went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and added a double. Jordan Walker also doubled as part of a 2-for-4 evening, scoring twice.
The Cardinals pushed McGreevy’s scheduled start back as part of an effort to protect several pitchers heading into next week’s All-Star break. That move paid off as the right-hander pitched into the seventh inning for the first time this season. He allowed just one run, which Milwaukee scored in the seventh, on five hits and a walk. McGreevy struck out six, his highest total since getting that many against the Brewers on May 26.
However, it did not start easily for him. He opened the game by allowing Christian Yelich to single and walking Jake Bauers one out later. The Brewers loaded the bases, but McGreevy escaped by getting Luis Lara on a chopper to Blaze Jordan at third.
St. Louis gave McGreevy a lead in the bottom of the first. Doubles by Masyn Winn and Walker off Kyle Harrison (8-2) started the scoring, and Burleson’s two-out two-bagger made it 2-0.
McGreevy gave up a leadoff single to Cooper Pratt in the second, but the rookie shortstop was caught stealing. After that, the Cardinals hurler retired the next 15 batters. He left after giving up a double to Garrett Mitchell and a single to Lara, with Pratt scoring Mitchell on a sacrifice fly off Luis Gastelum, who made his big-league debut after St. Louis promoted him earlier Wednesday.
Pratt went 2-for-3 and Mitchell finished 2-for-4 for the Brewers, whose four-game winning streak came to an end.
Fermin homered with one out in the fourth, and Burleson blasted a 443-foot two-run shot to right off Jared Koenig in the sixth.
Harrison lasted four innings, giving up three runs on four hits. He struck out a pair without issuing a walk.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels end 7-game skid with offensive outburst against Rangers
Jul 8, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell celebrates after he hits a three run home run against the Texas Rangers during the fifth inning at Globe Life Field. Jo Adell hit two homers and drove in a career-high five runs as the Los Angeles Angels snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 13-1 rout of the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night in Arlington, Texas.
Vaughn Grissom had four hits and four RBIs and Mike Trout homered in his return off the injured list for the Angels.
It was the 10th multi-home run game of Adell’s career. Zach Neto went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three runs. Denzer Guzman doubled and singled, and Jose Siri had two hits and an RBI. Josh Lowe scored twice for Los Angeles, which finished with 15 hits.
Trout, sidelined since June 18 with a right hamstring injury, went 1-for-4 with a walk, two RBIs and two runs while playing designated hitter.
Samy Natera Jr. (1-0) picked up his first major league victory in relief of Walbert Urena, striking out five of the six batters he faced during two perfect innings. Urena gave up only a third-inning single to left by Josh Smith, who was thrown out at second by Lowe trying to stretch it into a double.
Kyle Higashioka homered for Texas, which finished with just three hits. MacKenzie Gore (5-8) allowed seven runs on nine hits in five innings. He walked one and struck out seven.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Neto led off with a double into the left field corner and scored one out later on Grissom’s single to center.
Adell extended the lead to 3-0 in the fourth with a two-run opposite-field homer to right, driving in Grissom, who had singled.
The Angels then broke the game open with a four-run fifth inning, highlighted by a 433-foot three-run homer to left-center by Adell.
Grissom extended the lead to 9-0 in the sixth with a two-run double. Trout, celebrating the 15-year anniversary of his major league debut, made it 11-0 with a two-run homer in the eighth, a 438-foot drive to left.
–Field Level Media
