The lineup for UFC 329 on July 11 has begun to form.
On that date, the 2026 edition of International Fight Week will conclude with a UFC numbered event at the T-Mobile Arena.
Reports indicate that Conor McGregor could be making his long-awaited comeback in the main event, having missed out on a desired return at the White House event on June 14.
Now, a few months out from the Las Vegas card, the first matchup has been confirmed.
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Cesar Almeida vs Damian Pinas joins Gable Steveson’s debut on the UFC 329 card
McGregor’s rumored return card already had one name attached to it after the UFC’s signing of Gable Steveson was revealed.
The 2020 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling remains without an opponent, but the same cannot be said for middleweight Cesar Almeida.
The former kickboxer holds a win over Alex Pereira and has gone 3-2 in the UFC since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.
After having his two-fight winning run snapped by Cezary Oleksiejczuk last December, the 38-year-old Brazilian will look to get back on track on a major card this summer.
Per Marcel Dorff, Almeida will face Damian Pinas at UFC 329, marking the first matchup announced for International Fight Week.
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Pinas is 9-1 as a pro and fights out of Aruba. ‘The Baba Yaga’ landed a first-round knockout over Wes Schultz in his UFC debut this past February, a result that maintained his 100 percent finish rate in the cage.
He’ll hope to continue building hype behind his arrival on a card that could have many eyeballs on it, should the rumored main event come to fruition.
Ariel Helwani has reported that Max Holloway is the frontrunner to fight McGregor in his UFC 329 return. That, however, remains unconfirmed.
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