UFC 329 Undercard Loses Key Fighters Days Before McGregor vs. Holloway Main Event
By Michael AldonAthlon Sports
UFC 329 has been dealt a significant double blow to its undercard, as two fighters have withdrawn from the event just days before the highly anticipated July 11 pay-per-view at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The removals of flyweight veteran Ode Osbourne and rising bantamweight star Ethyn Ewing have forced the promotion to scramble for replacements during International Fight Week.
Flyweight Bout Replacement
The first cancellation occurred when Ode Osbourne confirmed his withdrawal on Jun. 24, mentioning that he had to pull out of a scheduled flyweight clash against Cody Durden due to an undisclosed injury (via Ode Osbourne on X):
Unfortunately, I won't be able to complete July 11th. It sucks because my team and I have put in so much hard work for over eight weeks, but I'm going to rest up and come back for the next one. Thank you guys for rocking with me. pic.twitter.com/IaTiP8ZJwg
Osbourne expressed his disappointment, stating, "Unfortunately, I won't be able to complete July 11th. It sucks because my team and I have put in so much hard work for over eight weeks, but I'm going to rest up and come back for the next one."
The UFC matchmakers were able to fill the void, however, bringing in Alessandro Costa to face Durden. Costa, who holds a 16-5 record, will step in on short notice for the bout.
Bantamweight Prospect Clash Dropped
Compounding the issue, the promotion then lost a bantamweight bout between Ethyn Ewing and Farid Basharat. Ewing, a prospect with a 2-0 UFC record, was forced out due to an injury.
Ethyn Ewing Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Imagesufc-fight-night-ewing-v-estevam.jpg
This matchup had been highly anticipated as a battle of rising undefeated talents, with Basharat holding a perfect 15-0 record and Ewing on a 9-fight win streak.Both fighters had their bouts moved to the UFC 329 card after originally being scheduled for UFC Vegas 119.
Basharat has confirmed that the UFC is currently searching for a short-notice replacement to keep him on the card.
Despite the setback, Basharat remains focused on his goal, addressing the fight cancellation through his YouTube channel:
"My focus was always to get a win on July 11. It was never personal with Ethyn Ewing," he stated in the vlog.
The cancellation represents a significant missed opportunity for Ewing, who was looking to extend his winning streak to 11.
Ewing has impressed many during his 2-0 run since joining the UFC, soundly defeating fellow prospect Malcolm Wellmaker in his UFC debut:
Ewing addressed the injury news, apologizing to fans who were looking to see him potentially secure another win:
View this post on Instagram
Former Middleweight champion and UFC commentator Michael Bisping has gone so far as to call Ewing "the most underrated fighter in the UFC right now," according to his interview with Casino.org.
"He's getting a lot of hype right now because he knocked out Malcolm Wellmaker, then he TKO'd Rafael Estevam, but he's still flying under the radar because he's a quieter guy," Bisping continued.
"But he's so good... Ethyn Ewing is the best right now," the hall-of-famer concluded.
Main Event Will Continue
While these undercard changes are disappointing for the matchmakers, the main event featuring Conor McGregor's return against Max Holloway remains intact.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 10: Conor McGregor of Ireland prepares to fight Dustin Poirier during the UFC 264 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Conor McGregor / Getty Images Conor McGregor / Getty Images
McGregor addressed the matchup, saying, "Max is a durable fighter with great skill. Not on my level, however. I am a level above."
As of now, UFC 329 currently sits at 12 scheduled bouts while the promotion works to finalize a replacement opponent for Basharat.
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This story was originally published July 3, 2026 at 2:33 AM.
