The UFC has officially confirmed 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 vs Conor McGregor for UFC 329 and Islam Makhachev vs Ian Garry for UFC 330. Additionally, EA Sports announced that Alex Pereira will appear on the standard cover of UFC 6, while Max Holloway will be featured on the deluxe edition. Anatoly Malykhin confirmed he will not move to the UFC despite receiving offers, citing loyalty to his current promotion for giving him opportunities when no one else would.
The UFC has officially confirmed Paddy Pimblett will take on Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 329 on July 11, with the promotion also working to finalize additional high-profile bouts for that card and the one to follow.
Pimblett, known as "The Baddy," enters the fight ranked sixth in the lightweight division with a 23-4-0 record. The 31-year-old from Liverpool fights out of Next Generation MMA and brings a well-rounded offensive game to the cage, landing 5.49 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy while averaging 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes — a figure that underlines his grappling threat.
Why it matters
- Pimblett at sixth in lightweight puts a top-five push firmly on the line against Saint-Denis
- A win could vault either fighter into contention in one of the UFC's most competitive divisions
- The style matchup pits Pimblett's high-volume striking and submission hunting against an opponent with his own dangerous finishing credentials
Beyond the confirmed headliner, the UFC is working on booking Max Holloway against Conor McGregor for the same UFC 329 card, as well as welterweight champion Islam Makhachev facing Ian Garry at UFC 330. Holloway, ranked fourth at lightweight and ninth pound-for-pound at 34 years old, owns a 27-9-0 record and averages a remarkable 7.2 significant strikes per minute. Makhachev, the undefeated welterweight champion at 28-1-0, is rated the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes with 58 percent striking accuracy.
In other news circulating around the sport, EA Sports announced that light heavyweight Alex Pereira will appear on the standard edition cover of UFC 6, with Holloway featured on the deluxe edition. Separately, ONE Championship heavyweight Anatoly Malykhin stated he will not be joining the UFC despite receiving offers, citing loyalty to the promotion that gave him his opportunities.
