Ryan Gandra built his entire MMA career while McGregor was sidelined, now shares UFC 329 card

Ryan Gandra’s entire fighting career has unfolded in the shadow of Conor McGregor’s absence — and on Saturday in Las Vegas, the Brazilian prospect will share the UFC 329 card with the Irishman’s long-awaited return against Max Holloway.

Gandra made his amateur MMA debut in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in October 2021, less than four months after McGregor fractured his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. While the former two-division champion spent nearly four years on the sidelines, Gandra competed once more as an amateur before compiling a 9-1 professional record, highlighted by first-round knockouts under both the Dana White’s Contender Series and UFC banners.

“While the guy was away, I was just some random athlete, coming from where I came from, building my story so I could end up fighting on the day of McGregor’s return,” Gandra told MMA Fighting. “Man, that’s incredibly emotional. When I got the news, I said, ‘This can’t be real.’ It was kind of unexpected — fighting on the day of the return of the legendary McGregor. I’m really happy. I wasn’t expecting to fight on a numbered card, especially one like this, not this soon.”

Gandra’s opponent at UFC 329 is Zach Reese, a fighter he had already studied in detail without ever anticipating a matchup. When preparing for his UFC debut against Jose Medina, Gandra broke down Reese’s earlier bout with that same opponent frame by frame.

“It took me two hours to watch it because I went through it in slow motion, paying attention to every detail,” Gandra said. “He also fought Michel Pereira, and I was rooting for Michel without ever imagining I’d fight this guy one day. Without even realising it, I was already studying him.”

Gandra’s UFC debut lasted just 41 seconds — enough to drop Medina with a flurry of punches in Mexico City. Despite the rapid finish, the performance bonus he was chasing that night eluded him. He is targeting one again against Reese, while acknowledging the step up in difficulty.

“He’s tough. He’s no joke,” Gandra said of Reese, who arrives with nine UFC fights on his record. “I’m not going to underestimate him, just like I didn’t underestimate Medina. But my style is only going to change if the fight starts going in a direction that’s different from our strategy. What you saw against Medina, you’re going to see again against Zach.”

For Gandra, the timing of the call carries a significance that goes beyond the matchup itself. The 29-year-old views the opportunity as both validation and a measure of the responsibility that comes with fighting on one of the most anticipated UFC cards in years.