Pimblett: More Respect for Gaethje Loss Than Win Streak
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Paddy Pimblett faces #5-ranked Benoit Saint Denis in the UFC 329 co-main event Saturday, his first fight since losing to Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 in January
- Pimblett told CBS Sports' Brian Campbell he received more respect for the Gaethje loss than for his seven-fight win streak entering it, calling it 'crazy' that fans now treat the defeat as a positive
- Justin Gaethje recontextualized Pimblett's loss by stopping Ilia Topuria on the White House South Lawn to win the undisputed lightweight title, a development Pimblett said 'aged well' for his own reputation
- Pimblett absorbed 200 strikes (144 significant) from Gaethje and lasted to the final bell, while Gaethje needed 119 strikes (91 significant) to force Topuria to retire on his stool before the fifth round
- Pimblett dismissed Saint Denis's chances, noting he has never lost to a southpaw and has finished all three French opponents he has faced in the first two rounds, saying Saint Denis 'hasn't got the cardio and he hasn't got the chin'
Why it matters: The UFC 329 co-main slot against the division's #5-ranked Saint Denis is Pimblett's first fight since Gaethje's White House title win effectively rehabilitated his stock — a win over a top-five opponent would reinsert him into the lightweight title picture without the 'rushed contender' stigma that followed his UFC 324 loss.
