UFC 329 Predictions, Picks & Best Bets for Tonight's Main Card

UFC 329 promises excitement with Conor McGregor making his long-awaited return to the octagon vs. Max Holloway, whom he beat in a memorable bout back in 2013 with a torn ACL.

The UFC 329 main card also features Paddy Pimblett taking on Benoit Saint Denis.

Our betting team has broken down the latest UFC odds, so don't miss our expert UFC 329 predictions, picks, and top plays for Saturday, July 11.

UFC 329 best bets

Pick
McGregor vs. Holloway Over 2.5 rounds	+100
Saint Denis to win by decision	+475
Bautista by decision	+150
Kavanagh by TKO	+210
Green by submission	+640

Conor McGregor vs Max Holloway

Best bet: Over 2.5 rounds
+100 at BET99

"I fully expect Max to take control of this fight and possibly score a late finish, but both of these fighters are former featherweight greats who are now rematching at 170 pounds. Punching power tends to diminish the higher you go up in weight class, and I don’t expect a quick ending for either side.

McGregor is the more proven finisher of the two, but Holloway has only been knocked out once in 38 career fights and has historically been one of the most durable fighters of all time. On the flip side, Holloway isn't a quick finisher himself, with 12 of his last 13 wins going Over 2.5 total rounds."

Read Cody Saftic's full McGregor vs. Holloway predictions.

Benoit Saint Denis vs Paddy Pimblett

Best bet: Saint Denis to win by decision
+475 at BET99

"Saint Denis by decision is my best bet. Pimblett is tough enough that he can hold his own and stay upright in a three-round fight, but this is not a good fight for him after the Gaethje war.

Saint Denis’ weapons are too voluminous for Pimblett’s grit to overcome but will stop short of breaking him. I’m taking Saint Denis by decision."

Read Danny Howard's full Saint Denis vs. Pimblett predictions.

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Cory Sandhagen vs Mario Bautista

Best bet: Bautista by decision
+185 at BET99

"Sandhagen remains a quality fighter who is awkward and difficult for anyone to deal with, but he has a glaring weakness in his takedown defense and will struggle with Bautista's athleticism.

Bautista's measured improvements will help him outlast Sandhagen and win on the scorecards."

Read Danny Howard's full Sandhagen vs. Bautista predictions.

Brandon Royval vs Lone'er Kavanagh

Best bet: Kavanagh by TKO
+210 at BET99

"All four of Kavanagh’s UFC opponents have been very durable fighters, so it’s unfair to label him as a non-puncher just yet. Before joining the promotion, Kavanagh held a 72% finish rate on the regional scene and was signed after delivering a devastating first-round knockout in front of Dana White on the Contender Series. 

Royval is coming off the first real KO loss of his career, but he’s also been knocked down three other times in his UFC career, including once against lowly regarded puncher Matt Schnell. The writing has been on the wall for years, but the 33-year-old finally seems to be at that point where he can’t rely on walking through strikes anymore."

Read Cody Saftic's full Royval vs. Kavanagh predictions.

King Green vs Terrance McKinney

Best bet: Green by submission
+640 at BET99

"McKinney is the definition of a glass cannon. All 18 of his professional victories have come inside the distance, but so have all eight of his losses. His game revolves around an explosive opening few minutes, and if he can't find the finish, the tide tends to turn quickly.

Green has quietly racked up 10 career submission wins, including one in his most recent outing, and if he hurts McKinney on the feet, don't be surprised if he follows him to the mat and locks up another choke."

Read Cody Saftic's full Green vs. McKinney predictions.

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Best UFC 329 parlay picks

Max Holloway moneyline

Corey Sandhagen to win by decision

Steveson/Ellison Under 1.5 total rounds

Luke Riley moneyline 

+540 at BET99

Max Holloway moneyline 

It’s already a tough task to beat Max Holloway under perfect conditions, but with Conor McGregor coming off a five-year layoff, I’m really not expecting a vintage version of him to show up.

Even at his best, McGregor often struggled against durable volume punchers, and much like Nate Diaz, Holloway should be able to stand his ground and eventually wear out Conor en route to a late-round stoppage win.

Fighting is often a game of “what have you done for me lately?”, and Holloway has been holding it down against the sport's best fighters recently, while McGregor hasn’t won a fight of any kind in nearly seven years.

This is a giant task for a comeback fight, and I trust that it will be too much for the once legendary prize fighter to overcome.

Corey Sandhagen to win by decision 

Corey Sandhagen's defensive grappling has improved significantly over the last few years, and although elite wrestlers in the division can still ground him, Mario Bautista seems like enough of a step down that Sandhagen should be able to keep it standing, where he'll thrive.

Despite both men being only one year apart in age, Sandhagen has already proven himself against a literal who's who of the division, while Bautista has looked good against far lower-level competition.

These guys have faced off once before, with Sandhagen earning a first-round submission win. However, with both fighters proving to be decision fighters in recent times, I expect another win for Sandhagen, only this time it will be settled by the judges' scorecards.

Steveson/Ellison Under 1.5 total rounds 

This is an absolute squash match in every sense, and anything less than a first-round finish for Gable Steveson is going to be a bad look for him.

The former decorated wrestling champion, who is being touted as the next big thing in the heavyweight division, should be able to dictate exactly where he wants this fight to take place and should seize the win however he pleases.

Sitting at -2800 against Elisha Ellison, Steveson is officially the biggest favorite in UFC odds history, and I fully expect him to put on a show in his Octagon debut.

Luke Riley moneyline

Luke Riley has been perfect so far, both as a professional and amateur, where he is a combined 17-0 since starting his career six years ago. A protege of co-main event fighter Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, Riley looks to be the next big talent coming out of Europe and is a perfect 2-0 since joining the UFC.

Riley's takedown defence is still a work in progress, but if opponents fail to take him down, the Brit’s superior punching power and volume really start to shine. His opponent, Kai Kamaka, was actually released from the UFC five years ago after failing to impress and is now being used as a litmus test for up-and-coming prospects.

Kamaka might keep it close and last to a decision, but his wrestling isn’t enough to slow Riley’s attack, and he seems destined to get outworked, if not outright clipped and put away before the end of three rounds.

Read a full analysis of Cody Saftic's UFC 329 parlay picks.

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