The UFC has officially announced a lightweight bout between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis for UFC 329 on July 11. 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. Anatoly Malykhin explained why he won't leave ONE Championship for the UFC despite receiving offers, citing loyalty to the organization that gave him opportunities when no one else would. Alex Pereira will appear on the base cover of UFC 6, while Max Holloway will be featured on the deluxe edition.
The UFC has made it official: Paddy Pimblett will meet Benoit Saint-Denis in a lightweight contest at UFC 329 on July 11.
Pimblett, the 31-year-old Liverpool native known as "The Baddy," enters the fight ranked sixth in the lightweight division with a record of 23-4-0. Fighting out of Next Generation MMA Liverpool in an orthodox stance, the five-foot-ten Englishman carries a notable 73-inch reach and has built his reputation on active, pressure-heavy fighting. He lands 5.49 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy and averages 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes, reflecting the well-rounded threat he poses inside the octagon.
Why it matters
- Pimblett sits sixth in the lightweight rankings, making this a significant step toward a top-five berth.
- A finish in either direction would carry major divisional weight in a stacked 155-pound landscape.
- The style matchup pits Pimblett's submission hunting and volume striking against what promises to be a competitive test at the UFC 329 card.
UFC 329 is shaping up to be a substantial event. According to reporter Ariel Helwani, the UFC is also working to finalize Max Holloway versus Conor McGregor for the same card. Holloway, ranked fourth at lightweight and ninth pound-for-pound at 34 years old, carries a 27-9-0 record and one of the sport's most prolific striking outputs at 7.2 significant strikes per minute. Separately, lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who holds a 28-1-0 record and leads all UFC fighters in the pound-for-pound rankings, is being targeted for a welterweight title defense against Ian Garry at UFC 330. Makhachev averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands significant strikes at an elite 58 percent accuracy rate.
