The UFC has officially announced a lightweight bout between Paddy Pimblett of England and Benoit Saint-Denis of France for UFC 329 on July 11. According to reporter 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. Anatoly Malykhin explained why he has declined UFC offers, citing loyalty to his current promotion ONE Championship. Alex Pereira and Max Holloway will appear on the cover of UFC 6 video game.
The UFC has officially confirmed a lightweight matchup between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis for UFC 329, scheduled for July 11.
Pimblett, nicknamed "The Baddy," enters the fight ranked sixth in the lightweight division with a record of 23-4-0. The 31-year-old from England trains out of Next Generation MMA Liverpool and brings a well-rounded offensive game to the cage. He lands 5.49 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy and averages 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes, reflecting his comfort in both phases of the fight.
Saint-Denis was not included in the verified fighter data, so only confirmed details are referenced here.
Why it matters
- A win for Pimblett over Saint-Denis could push the Liverpool fighter further up a competitive lightweight division.
- Pimblett sits at sixth in the rankings, making every result at this level meaningful in the title picture.
- The card is shaping up as a significant event, with reporter Ariel Helwani noting the UFC is working to book Max Holloway versus Conor McGregor for the same night.
Holloway, ranked fourth at lightweight and ninth in the pound-for-pound standings, carries a 27-9-0 record into that prospective matchup. The 34-year-old American from Gracie Technics is one of the sport's most prolific strikers, landing 7.2 significant strikes per minute.
Islam Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion with a 28-1-0 record, is separately being targeted for UFC 330 against Ian Garry, according to Helwani. The 34-year-old Russian southpaw from Eagles MMA is one of the most dominant grapplers in the sport, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes while posting a striking accuracy of 58 percent.
