Pimblett makes title claim with 52-second win at UFC 329
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- Paddy Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint-Denis in just 52 seconds at UFC 329 via a guillotine choke, with referee Marc Goddard halting the bout after Saint-Denis went unconscious rather than tapping.
- Pimblett dedicated the win to Liverpool and Portugal winger Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident 12 months ago, before calling out Ilia Topuria, a Justin Gaethje rematch, Conor McGregor, or Max Holloway as his next opponent.
- The win moves Pimblett to 24-3 (7 submissions), and was his first fight since losing to Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title in January — a defeat that aged well after Gaethje won the undisputed belt.
- Luke Riley, Pimblett's training partner at Liverpool's Next Generation gym, extended his unbeaten record to 14-0 with a first-round TKO of Kai Kamaka III on the prelims.
- Lone'er Kavanagh suffered a submission loss to Brandon Royval in a chaotic flyweight bout after dropping Royval in round two, snapping his momentum following an upset of former two-time champion Brandon Moreno in March.
- A Pimblett vs. Topuria grudge match has simmered since they clashed at UFC London in 2022, with Topuria now recovering from a broken orbital suffered in his June loss to Gaethje — potentially opening the door for a number-one contender bout.
Why it matters: Pimblett's co-main event placement on UFC's marquee International Fight Week card signals the promotion sees him as a genuine title picture player, and with Topuria injured and Gaethje holding the belt, the UFC has every incentive to book Pimblett in a high-profile number-one contender fight to capitalize on his surging popularity.
