Benoit St. Denis will face Paddy Pimblett in the co-main event of UFC 329 on July 11. St. Denis, who drew massive support from a home crowd during his last outing in Paris, returns to action in what promises to be a high-profile lightweight matchup.
Benoit Saint Denis and Paddy Pimblett have been confirmed as the co-main event of UFC 329 on July 11, setting up one of the most anticipated lightweight bouts of the year.
Saint Denis, known as "God of War," enters the fight ranked ninth in the lightweight division with a record of 17-3-0. The 30-year-old southpaw stands five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach and has built a reputation as one of the division's most relentless finishers. He lands 5.62 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 58 percent, and his grappling threat is equally dangerous — he averages 4.19 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.8 submission attempts in the same span. His last appearance in Paris drew enormous home-crowd support, and he now looks to capitalize on that momentum on a major stage.
Across the cage stands Paddy Pimblett, the sixth-ranked lightweight from Liverpool, England. "The Baddy" carries a 23-4-0 record into the fight at age 31. Standing five-foot-ten with a 73-inch reach, Pimblett is an orthodox fighter who generates volume on the feet at 5.49 significant strikes per minute with 52 percent accuracy. He also carries a legitimate submission threat, averaging 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes, and has built one of the sport's most vocal fan bases on both sides of the Atlantic.
Why it matters
- Saint Denis sits three spots below Pimblett in the rankings, giving him a clear opportunity to climb with a strong performance
- Both men are active submission hunters, making the grappling exchanges particularly significant
- A win for either fighter could push them into title-contender conversations in a crowded lightweight division
- The bout adds considerable star power to what is already a high-profile UFC 329 card
Saturday, July 11, 2026
