Paddy Pimblett will face Benoit Saint-Denis on July 11 at UFC 329. 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. Additionally, Guram Kutateladze's coach Gor Azizyan stated he would like a rematch with Alexander Volkov, claiming Volkov only ran during their previous fight and that Pavlovich needs to change tactics to win. The post also mentions that Anatoly Malykhin explained why he won't move to the UFC despite receiving offers, citing loyalty to his current promotion ONE Championship and the boss who supported him when nobody 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, the charismatic Liverpool native who has built a massive following since joining the UFC, enters the fight looking to prove he belongs among the division's elite. Saint-Denis, the French finisher known for his explosive, pressure-based style, represents a significant step up in competition and a genuine test of Pimblett's credentials at 155 pounds.
The card is shaping up to be one of the year's biggest events. According to Ariel Helwani, the UFC is also planning to place Max Holloway against Conor McGregor on the same card. Holloway, currently ranked fourth in the lightweight division and ninth in the pound-for-pound rankings, carries a 27-9-0 record and one of the sport's most relentless output games, averaging 7.2 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy. The 34-year-old Hawaiian would bring elite striking experience into any matchup on that stage.
Separately, welterweight champion Islam Makhachev is being targeted for UFC 330 against Ian Garry. Makhachev, also 34 and the pound-for-pound number-one fighter in the world, holds a 28-1-0 record and anchors his game in a suffocating grappling system, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes while landing strikes at a 58 percent accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- Pimblett vs. Saint-Denis carries significant lightweight rankings implications for both fighters
- A potential Holloway vs. McGregor co-main would make UFC 329 one of the highest-profile cards in recent memory
- Makhachev vs. Garry at UFC 330 would put the welterweight champion's title on the line against a fast-rising contender
- Both events are still being finalized and no official card order has been confirmed
