Conor McGregor‘s return card suffered a big blow after a highly anticipated bantamweight bout on the prelims unexpectedly fizzled out. For a while, the UFC struggled to find a replacement to keep the event’s bout count intact. Finally, a debutant stepped up to accept a fight against an undefeated opponent. In doing so, the newcomer helped save the UFC 329 card. 

Last week, reports claimed that the UFC’s new 135 lbs sensation, Ethyn Ewing, pulled out of his bout against the undefeated 15-0 Farid Basharat because of an injury. Later, Ewing also confirmed the news through his social media. Following the announcement, Basharat remained open to facing a new opponent, and Houston, Texas-based fighter John Garza took the opportunity to make his UFC debut and help save a crucial fight on McGregor’s comeback event.

“Farid Basharat got a new opponent,” Marcel Dorff posted on X. “He takes on John Garza at 135 lbs at #UFC329/#IFW2026.”  

With that, Farid Basharat would be able to fight for his spot in the promotion. Recently, the Afghan-English fighter claimed in an MMA Fighting interview that his next fight is going to be his last fight under his UFC contract. So, with Ethyn Ewing withdrawing from the fight and the UFC subsequently having trouble finding a quick replacement, it felt like the promotion might just cut the fight from the UFC 329 lineup. Fortunately, Garza answered the UFC’s call and will be fighting at T-Mobile Arena on less than a week’s notice.

At present, Basharat is on a six-fight winning streak in the UFC. He defeated opponents like Victor Hugo, Chris Gutierrez, and Jean Matsumoto in his last three fights, showing his capability to become the next superstar in the division. However, many could think that the Paktia native would comfortably win his next fight against the debutant. Well, looking at John Garza’s overall 6-1 record, that thinking isn’t far off. Still, the Houston, Texas-based fighter has shown plenty of promise in his bouts.

The 23-year-old fought in Fury FC before getting scheduled for his UFC debut. There, Garza won four fights in a row against credible opponents like Marcelo Reyes and Josh Walker. But as ‘Mowgli’ is all set to walk out for his first fight under Dana White’s banner on short notice, he’s definitely not the only one to accept a fight without much time to prepare.

Before him, Farid Basharat’s original opponent, Ethyn Ewing, accepted the UFC’s offer to face knockout artist Michael Wellmaker at UFC 322 on just 48 hours’ notice at Madison Square Garden last year. Ewing not only showed up for the fight, but he also defeated Wellmaker via unanimous decision, pulling off a massive upset.

Now, the Afghan-English fighter finally has the opportunity to face an opponent, make a statement at UFC 329, and then earn a new contract. However, that’s not the only fight that saw such a development on Conor McGregor’s card. 

Cody Durden faces a new opponent at Conor McGregor’s return event   

UFC 329 also featured an exciting flyweight bout between Ode Osbourne and Cody Durden. But the Jamaican-American suffered an undisclosed injury before the fight that ruled him out of the contest. With that, Durden was left without an opponent, and he issued an open challenge on social media for anyone willing to face him at the event. Well, he has finally found an adversary.

According to reports, Alessandro Costa has replaced Osbourne and will now face Cody Durden during International Fight Week. From a stylistic matchup, the fight definitely maintains its intrigue.

‘Custom Made’s career is currently on a rocky road as he has lost four of his last five fights, with his most recent defeat against Jafel Filho at UFC Fight Night: Sterling vs. Zalal making this a crucial comeback fight. In comparison, Costa is on a decent run at 125 lbs. This year, the Brazilian fighter scored two impressive finishes against Stewart Nicoll and Matt Schnell.

That said, despite such cancellations, the overall card for Conor McGregor’s return has stayed intact, and currently, all the main card bouts remain unchanged.