Paddy Pimblett will face Benoit Saint-Denis on July 11 at UFC 329, according to official confirmation. Additionally, according to Ariel Helwani, the UFC is planning to book Max Holloway vs. Conor McGregor for UFC 329 and Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Garry for UFC 330 in the near future. Guram Azizyan, trainer of Sergei Pavlovich, expressed interest in a rematch with Alexander Volkov, claiming Volkov only ran during their fight and that a tactical change would secure victory for Pavlovich. Anatoly Malykhin explained why he won't move to the UFC despite offers, citing loyalty to his current boss who supported him when no one else did.
Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis have been officially booked to meet on July 11 at UFC 329, giving the lightweight division one of its most anticipated matchups of the summer.
Pimblett has built a sizable following since arriving in the UFC, and a win over Saint-Denis would represent the most significant scalp of his career to date. Saint-Denis, the hard-charging French finisher, enters the bout looking to push himself firmly into lightweight title contention with another statement performance.
Beyond the confirmed main card addition, reporter Ariel Helwani has indicated the UFC is working to finalize Max Holloway versus Conor McGregor for UFC 329 as well. Holloway, 34, carries a 27-9 record and sits fourth in the lightweight rankings and ninth in the pound-for-pound standings. The Hawaiian is one of the sport's most prolific volume strikers, averaging 7.2 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy.
Also in the pipeline, according to Helwani, is a welterweight title fight pairing champion Islam Makhachev against Ian Garry at UFC 330. Makhachev owns a 28-1 record and holds the pound-for-pound top spot. The Russian southpaw is a dominant grappler, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes, while posting a striking accuracy of 58 percent.
In other news, the team of heavyweight Sergei Pavlovich has publicly called for a rematch with number-one-ranked Alexander Volkov. Trainer Guram Azizyan claimed Volkov, who holds a 40-11 record, relied on movement throughout their fight and argued a tactical adjustment would produce a different result for Pavlovich. Volkov, the six-foot-seven Russian, averages 4.78 significant strikes per minute with 57 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Pimblett vs. Saint-Denis is officially confirmed and adds genuine stakes to the UFC 329 card
- A potential Holloway-McGregor booking would be among the year's highest-profile lightweight contests
- Makhachev vs. Garry, if finalized, would give the welterweight division cross-divisional championship intrigue
- The Pavlovich camp's rematch call keeps the heavyweight top-five picture unsettled heading into the second half of 2026
