Max Holloway made quick work of Conor McGregor at UFC 329 on Saturday night, but the main event still drove record betting for at least one major sportsbook.
According to trading manager Alex Rella, “Conor McGregor-Max Holloway was the most-bet MMA event in BetMGM history.” There was heavy action on McGregor as an underdog in his return fight. Holloway winning was a good outcome for the sportsbook.
Record-Breaking Bets
McGregor, in his first UFC fight in more than five years, opened as the +250 underdog and was at +240 entering the fight. His underdog odds led to 88% of the total fight bets and 81% of the money wagered backing McGregor to win.
Meanwhile, Holloway drew just 12% and 19%, respectively, as the -300 favorite after opening at -345. Holloway earned a TKO win against the former two-division champion at 1:09 of Round 1 after McGregor injured the same right leg he had injured in his trilogy loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.
The event featured 14 fights, including a five-fight main card. Paddy Pimblett advanced his lightweight contender status against Benoit Saint-Denis via submission (D’arce choke) 52 seconds into the first round, remaining in the upper echelon of the lightweight championship picture in the night’s co-main event.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.