NYFights

Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return at UFC 329 ended in heartbreaking fashion after a devastating right knee injury just over a minute into the opening round handed Max Holloway a TKO victory. The former two-division champion desperately tried to regain his footing but was unable to put any weight on his injured leg. With McGregor incapable of intelligently defending himself, referee Mike Beltran stepped in to wave off the contest at the 1:09 mark of Round 1.

The lawsuit between Vergil Ortiz Jr. and Golden Boy Promotions has been settled, setting up the potential of a title fight between Ortiz Jr. and Jaron “Boots” Ennis Former world heavyweight champion Andy Ruiz Jr. was candid about throwing away his opportunities after his upset win over Anthony Joshua in 2019 at a news conference Friday ahead of his return to the ring against Damien Knyba on Sept. 4 in Newark, New Jersey.

The 7,500-seat open-air boxing arena in Carson, California, has had multiple names, but boxing insiders all know it as The War Grounds. The War Grounds has hosted some of the greatest all-action fights of the 21st Century, beginning with Vazquez vs Marquez II and III. From 2003 to 2016, five Fights of the Year have taken place in Carson at The War Grounds Maybe you know it as the StubHub Center, or the Home Depot Center. Or you know it by its current name, Dignity Health Sports Park.

Jon Jones just threw cold water on one of the biggest crossover fights boxing fans have dreamed up in years. The former UFC heavyweight champion made it clear he has no interest in trading pure boxing with Oleksandr Usyk, even as the Ukrainian great searches for a marquee opponent to close out his career. The remarks come at a hot moment for both men.

Jon Jones is no longer chasing the UFC. Recently, he made it clear that he isn’t the one pushing for a comeback fight anymore and the ball is entirely in the promotion’s court. He’s still in the drug testing pool, he’s eligible to compete, and his contract says he’s still owed fights. He’s just not begging for one. This is a big shift from the usual retirement drama fans have been dealing with for over a year.

While the main event of UFC 329 ended in heartbreaking fashion after Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return lasted just 69 seconds, fan interest in the event never wavered. The former two-division champion suffered a devastating right knee injury during the opening exchange, and after battling to stay in the fight for over a minute, referee Mike Beltran was forced to wave off the contest, handing Max Holloway a first-round TKO victory.

Every UFC event brings something specific. A title on the line, a streak being chased, a fighter stepping into the biggest moment of their career, or two contrasting styles colliding in a way that makes the outcome genuinely hard to predict. What draws millions of viewers to the sport is that no two events are the same: a fight can end in 30 seconds via knockout, or it can go five full rounds and still leave the outcome in question until the judges’ scorecards are read.

Famous for its run of Fights of the Year through the 2010s, Matchroom Boxing brings the first fight card to Carson, California in two years, featuring super middleweight Diego Pacheco. Pacheco faces Immanuwel Aleem in a super middleweight matchup. Pacheco headlined the last card in Carson in August 2024. The card airs on DAZN Boxing with undercard fights at 5:30 p.m. ET/2:30 p.m. PT, and the main card at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

Unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano will attempt to break Christy Martin’s all-time women’s knockout record in her next fight on August 21. Serrano will face Lucrecia Manzur in the Most Valuable Promotions main event at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California. The card will be the first professional boxing card broadcast on TikTok LIVE, an industry first. Seven-division world champion Amanda Serrano of Puerto Rico is not done chasing history.

Hikaru Shida was one of the first women AEW signed back when the promotion was created in 2019. She was the company’s third-ever AEW Women’s Champion, and her first reign lasted for a record 372 days. Over the years, Shida’s character has progressed on television. She’s gone from being a babyface to now being a heel as the TBS Champion. While Shida remains determined as a champion in AEW today, there was a time when the Japanese native considered hanging up her boots.