Lightweight contenders Paddy Pimblett, Benoit Saint Denis meet at UFC 329

Paddy Pimblett will look to rebound from his first octagon loss at UFC 329 when he clashes with fellow lightweight contender Benoit Saint Denis.

After falling short of the interim belt against Justin Gaethje in January, Pimblett (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is slated to get back to work against Saint Denis (17-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) at the July 11 event, which takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).

A person with knowledge of the booking verified the booking to MMA Junkie on Friday following an initial report from French media outlet La Sueur.

Pimblett, No. 9 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie lightweight rankings, put on a tremendous display of durability in his UFC 324 clash with Gaethje, but did not inflict enough damage to get the win. Many pundits suggested an extended layoff for "The Baddy" after taking some heavy shots, but the 31-year-old gets back to work less than six months later with hopes of putting himself back in the conversation with the division's top contenders.

The Brit have to first get past No. 7-ranked Saint Denis, however, and the 30-year-old Frenchman is on a roll. After losing back-to-back fights against Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano in 2024, Saint Denis has rattled off four consecutive wins – all by stoppage – with the past three coming against ranked names in Dan Hooker, Beneil Dariush and Mauricio Ruffy.

The latest UFC 329 lineup now includes:

• Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint Denis
• Mario Bautista vs. Cory Sandhagen
• Cesar Almeida vs. Damian Pinas
• Ryan Gandra vs. Zach Reese
• Gable Steveson vs. opponent TBA

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 329: Paddy Pimblett books return vs. Benoit Saint Denis