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Max Holloway, Paddy Pimblett, Gable Steveson Face Nevada Hearings Over UFC 329 Cage Climbs | MiddleEasy

MiddleEasy · Jake Blend · 2026-08-21T20:56:09+00:00 · nguồn gốc

Max Holloway, Paddy Pimblett and Gable Steveson are now dealing with the least fun part of UFC 329 fallout. Not the damage, not the rankings, not the “what is next?” noise. Paperwork. The Nevada State Athletic Commission has all three listed for disciplinary hearings after post-fight cage-climb celebrations in Las Vegas. The hearings are tied to possible purse withholdings after the fighters scaled the cage during their celebrations. That is the kind of rule that feels ancient the second a fired-up fighter starts celebrating, but commissions do not care much for adrenaline when the agenda gets printed. The Wednesday meeting will determine whether portions of their fight purses stay withheld or turn into fines. Holloway and Pimblett were two of the biggest names on the card, while Steveson was making his early UFC heavyweight push after a wrestling career that already made him famous before he threw MMA gloves on. UFC 329 Celebration Rule Now Hits Three Names Pimblett’s manager, Graham Boylan, called the cage-climb rule outdated in a text message: “For the record, this rule needs to be changed. Yes, it’s the fight game, and systems need to be in play to make it all work, but this rule does nothing to support that. It’s 2026. Apply a little common sense.” Official UFC 329 footage below shows the three victories that preceded the disciplinary hearings. RIGHT ON THE FIRST KICK 😳 Max Holloway gets his hand raised tonight! [ #UFC329 | LIVE ON @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/8Y5MR1wJ4s — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) July 12, 2026 PUT TO SLEEP IN FIFTY SECONDS 🤯 PADDY PIMBLETT JUST EARNED A MASSIVE SUBMISSION VICTORY IN THE #UFC329 CO-MAIN EVENT! [ LIVE ON @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/Zru5spmIf9 — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) July 12, 2026 THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE A DEBUT ‼️ Gable Steveson shows out on the biggest stage with the first round KO! [ #UFC329 | LIVE ON @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/cEg4CJTyuw — UFC on Paramount+ (@UFConParamount) July 12, 2026 There is some recent precedent here. Diego Lopes had $5,000 of his disclosed $100,000 show purse withheld after scaling the cage at UFC 300 in April 2024, before the commission settled on a $2,500 fine. That number is not guaranteed for Holloway, Pimblett or Steveson, but it gives everyone a pretty obvious starting point. The Steveson part is the strangest wrinkle because the broadcast did not clearly show when his cage climb happened. That does not mean the commission missed it. It means the cameras may have been busy elsewhere while the clipboard people were still doing clipboard things. Holloway’s UFC 329 night already came with enough weirdness after the McGregor rematch ended by injury, while Pimblett later said his cage weight was around 190 pounds after beating Benoit Saint Denis. Steveson, meanwhile, kept his momentum rolling after his UFC 329 knockout debut put the heavyweight division on notice. Different fights, same commission headache. The fight-world argument is easy to see from both sides. Athletic commissions want order, liability control and no celebration turning into someone falling off the fence like a bad highlight. Fighters want to enjoy the win before the next bad news arrives in the mail. This one just happens to involve three names big enough that the rule is getting dragged into daylight again. If the commission sticks close to the 2024 fine range, this becomes an annoying but survivable tax on post-fight emotion. If it gets heavier, expect managers and fighters to get louder fast. Either way, UFC 329 has found one more aftershock, and this one is less about punches than whether climbing the cage should still hit a fighter in the wallet.