Paddy Pimblett scores epic 52-second win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329

Paddy Pimblett emphatically got back to winning ways on his return at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on Saturday.

‘The Baddy’ put fellow top-ranked lightweight Benoit Saint Denis to sleep in just 52 seconds to secure his 24th victory as a professional.

Getty

Pimblett was returning to action for the first time since suffering his first UFC defeat to current lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in January.

The 31-year-old had made it very clear that he wants a rematch with Gaethje for the undisputed belt next.

And there’s no doubt he’ll be in the driving seat for a title shot in his next fight after such a statement win on the huge Las Vegas card headlined by Conor McGregor’s return against Max Holloway.

“Submission of the year b****es,” Pimblett told Joe Rogan after his win.

“I knew he was out. I told everyone all week I would choke him unconscious, and my man was face down eating canvas.”

The Liverpudlian added: “They all said I was finished after I lost to Gaethje.

“What now? Are we finished? Who wants it next? I’ll beat Ilia [Topuria] up, I’ll rematch Justin, I’ll fight Conor or Max next.

“I don’t give a f***. Give me anyone and I’ll punch their head in.”

He then grabbed the microphone to pay tribute to the late Liverpool FC forward Diogo Jota, who tragically lost his life in July 2025 aged 28, by singing his famous chant.

Just seconds into the fight, Saint Denis attempted a takedown, but ‘The Baddy’ defended well to catch the Frenchman in a guillotine choke.

Getty/talkSPORT

Pimblett then found himself on top position and immediately transitioned into a D’Arce choke.

Moments later, referee Marc Goddard lifted Saint Denis’ arm to check if he was still conscious, but the latter offered no response and the fight was quickly waved off.

What else happened at UFC 329?

After an action-packed five fights in the early bouts, the UFC 329 preliminary card set the standard for the evening with four consecutive knockouts.

Liverpool’s Luke Riley kicked things off with a swift first-round finish of Kai Kamaka III, earning his third UFC victory to move to 14-0 in his pro career.

Adrian Yanez continued the first-round finish streak by brutally stopping former UFC champion Cody Garbrandt.

Gable Steveson was up next, and the Olympic gold medallist trained by Jon Jones certainly lived up to expectations, finishing Elisha Ellison in round one to mark a successful UFC debut.

Getty

Getty

Just before the main card, Robert Whittaker was successful on his first appearance as a light heavyweight, breaking Nikita Krylov’s jaw with a perfect right hand early in the third round.

King Green then began the five-fight main card by overcoming adversity to stop Terrance McKinney with just one second left in the first round of their lightweight clash.

Briton Lone’er Kavanagh then tasted just the second defeat of his pro career in an incredible fight with Brandon Royval before Mario Bautista outpointed Cory Sandhagen in the featured fight of the night.

UFC 329 results

Main card

• Mario Bautista def. Cory Sandhagen via unanimous decision
• Brandon Royval def. Lone’er Kavanagh via third-round submission (rear naked choke)
• King Green def. Terrance McKinney via first-round KO

Prelims

• Robert Whittaker def. Nikita Krylov via third-round KO
• Gable Steveson def. Elisha Ellison via first-round KO
• Adrian Yanez def. Cody Garbrandt via first-round KO
• Luke Riley def. Kai Kamaka III via first-round KO

Early prelims

• Wang Cong def. Tracey Cortez via unanimous decision
• Damian Pinas def. Cesar Almeida via first-round KO
• Farid Basharat def. John Garza via unanimous decision
• Ryan Gandra def. Zach Reese via first-round KO
• Alessandro Costa def. Cody Durden via second-round submission (rear naked choke)