McGregor Calls for UFC 329 Bets to Be Refunded

Conor McGregor wants his defeat to Max Holloway changed to a no contest. Such a decision could void many wagers, but the official TKO result remains in place.

McGregor addressed the matter on Instagram after his UFC 329 return, which ended 69 seconds into the first round due to an injury sustained while attempting a jumping kick. The Irish fighter had hurt his right knee in the process and could not continue, and Holloway won by a technical knockout at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on July 11.

McGregor had stated that the fight needed to be declared null and void, with all associated bets being reimbursed. McGregor said he was awaiting medical test results.

UFC CEO Dana White initially suggested that McGregor may have injured his ACL, although a final diagnosis had not been publicly confirmed.

Official Result Supports Sportsbook Settlements

McGregor’s request would require the official result to be overturned. Because the bout took place in Nevada, any formal change would fall under the authority of the Nevada Athletic Commission.

The official result in the promotion is listed as a TKO win for Holloway due to a knee injury. There has been no foul committed prior to the decision.

That classification determines how the wagers are settled. If a fight is officially declared a no contest, most wagers are voided unless the selected market had already been decided. In the case of a TKO, however, there is nothing stopping a bet from being resolved in the normal manner once there is a winner declared.

DraftKings states that bets on a fight declared a no contest are void unless the relevant market has already been unconditionally determined.

Bettors Backed McGregor in Large Numbers

The outcome turned out to be very favorable for the bookmakers as the majority of the bets made by the public were on McGregor. According to figures reported by the New York Post, 68% of DraftKings moneyline tickets and 92% of the money backed McGregor.

Another very popular proposition bet was for McGregor by KO or TKO, which garnered 30% of tickets and 34% of total money bets on method of victory propositions.

The same thing can be said about BetMGM, where 88% of all fight bets and 81% of the handle were on McGregor.

BetMGM described it as the most-wagered MMA event in the operator’s history. It ranked second among the operator’s combat sports events, behind Jake Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson.

A Refund Remains Unlikely

There is no explanation from McGregor about what particular competition rule supports changing the outcome. The reasoning seems to be based more on the nature of the injury, rather than on any mistake made by the referee or any foul committed by Holloway.

In this case, there is little hope that the bookies will provide voluntary returns, as this will mean overriding both the official result of the fight and their settlement rules.

The case shows how differently athletes and betting operators may view an injury stoppage. For the fighter, an early injury can leave the contest feeling unresolved. For a sportsbook, the recorded result is usually decisive. Unless the official result is changed to a no contest, wagers on McGregor are expected to remain settled as losses.