The UFC has officially announced a fight between England's Paddy Pimblatt and France's Benoit Saint-Denis for UFC 329 on July 11. According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC is also planning to schedule Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor for UFC 329 and Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Garry for UFC 330 in the near future. Additionally, Alex Pereira and Max Holloway have been announced as the cover athletes for UFC 6, with Pereira on the base version and Holloway on the deluxe edition.
The UFC has made official one of lightweight's most anticipated matchups, confirming that Paddy Pimblatt will face Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 329 on July 11.
Pimblatt, the 30-year-old Englishman known for his entertaining style and growing fan base, is not listed in the verified divisional rankings at this time. He competes in the lightweight division and has built a reputation as one of the promotion's most marketable rising prospects.
Saint-Denis, nicknamed "God of War," enters the bout ranked ninth in the lightweight division. The 30-year-old Frenchman carries a 17-3-0 record and presents a formidable all-around skillset. He lands 5.62 significant strikes per minute at a 58 percent accuracy rate, while also averaging an imposing 4.19 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.8 submission attempts per 15 minutes, making him one of the division's most dangerous grapplers outside the top five.
The card is also expected to feature further star power. According to reporter Ariel Helwani, the UFC is working to book Max Holloway against Conor McGregor for UFC 329 as well. Holloway, ranked fourth at lightweight and ninth in the pound-for-pound standings, holds a 27-9-0 record and is one of the sport's premier strikers, landing 7.2 significant strikes per minute. Separately, welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, who carries a 28-1-0 record and the top pound-for-pound ranking, is being targeted to defend against Ian Garry at UFC 330.
Why it matters
- Pimblatt versus Saint-Denis carries significant divisional stakes, with a top-ten ranking likely on the line for the winner
- Saint-Denis's elite grappling volume creates a stern stylistic test for Pimblatt, who thrives in dynamic, stand-up exchanges
- A stacked UFC 329 card, if Holloway versus McGregor is confirmed, would make the event one of the biggest commercial cards in recent memory
- Makhachev's expected UFC 330 title defense against Garry would mark a welterweight challenger stepping up to face the pound-for-pound king
