The UFC has officially announced that Paddy Pimblett will face Benoit Saint-Denis on July 11 at UFC 329. According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC is also working on booking Max Holloway versus Conor McGregor for UFC 329, and Islam Makhachev versus Ian Garry for UFC 330. Additionally, Gor Azizyan, the trainer of Pavlovich, Shara, Guskov, and Walker, stated he would like Pavlovich to have a rematch with Volkov, claiming Volkov only ran during their first fight and that Pavlovich simply needs to change tactics to win. UFC 6 cover athletes were also revealed, with Alex Pereira on the base version and Max Holloway on the deluxe edition.
The UFC has made it official: Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis are set to collide on July 11 at UFC 329, giving lightweight fans one of the division's most anticipated matchups in recent memory.
Pimblett, the Liverpool-born fan favorite, has built a considerable following on the strength of his aggressive, submission-heavy style and his ability to generate event-night buzz. Saint-Denis, the hard-hitting French contender, brings a similarly attacking game, making this a contest with finish potential from the opening bell.
The UFC 329 card is shaping up to be a major one. According to Ariel Helwani, the promotion is also working to finalize Max Holloway versus Conor McGregor for the same event. Holloway, a 34-year-old American ranked fourth in the lightweight division and ninth in the pound-for-pound standings, carries a 27-9 record and one of the sport's most relentless striking outputs at 7.2 significant strikes landed per minute with 48 percent accuracy. A fight of that profile would add enormous weight to an already loaded card.
Looking further ahead, Helwani also reports the UFC is targeting Islam Makhachev versus Ian Garry for UFC 330. Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion and the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, holds a 28-1 record at 34 years old. The Russian southpaw is as complete a fighter as the sport has produced, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 58 percent striking accuracy and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Pimblett vs. Saint-Denis gives the UFC 329 undercard genuine star power and finish potential in a stacked lightweight division.
- A potential Holloway-McGregor co-main would make UFC 329 one of the biggest pay-per-view events in years.
- Makhachev vs. Garry at UFC 330 would pit the dominant welterweight champion against a rising contender, with major title implications for the 170-pound division.
