Paddy Pimblett Targets Benoit Saint-Denis After Rankings Shift, Michael Bisping Approves the Matchup
At UFC 324 last month, Paddy Pimblett faced Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title but suffered a devastating loss. The loss ended Pimblett’s undefeated UFC run and forced him to step back from immediate championship contention plans.
Just one week later, Benoit Saint-Denis secured a statement TKO victory over Dan Hooker at UFC 325. With that win, Saint-Denis climbed to the number five ranking, pushing Pimblett down to sixth. Frustrated by the shift, Pimblett openly called out Saint-Denis for a high-stakes showdown next.
Sidekick Boxing covered the development on Threads, highlighting Pimblett’s bold challenge to the surging French contender. UFC veteran Michael Bisping reshared the post and appeared to endorse Pimblett’s proposed matchup publicly. “Great move by paddy. Makes a lot of sense and a banger of a fight,” wrote Michael Bisping via Thread.
View on Threads
Michael Bisping is a respected veteran and the first British champion in UFC history, proudly supporting fellow UK fighters. Following the recent eye poke controversy involving Tom Aspinall, Bisping publicly defended his decision to prioritize long-term eye health.
Bisping emphasized that protecting vision matters more than rushing back into competition after a dangerous heavyweight incident. Meanwhile, despite losing, Paddy Pimblett delivered one of the most entertaining performances of his professional career at UFC 324.
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Paddy Pimblett comes clean about feeling weird ahead of UFC 324
Heading into UFC 324 against Justin Gaethje, Paddy Pimblett entered as a strong fan favourite expected to win comfortably. Previously, Pimblett had impressively dominated seasoned veterans like Bobby Green and Michael Chandler using versatile striking and effective wrestling.
However, against the ‘Highlight,’ Pimblett struggled to implement his wrestling and was largely dominated on the feet. In a recent YouTube rewatch of the bout, Pimblett admitted he never felt completely comfortable heading into the fight.
“Even though I lost lad, it’s a very entertaining fight to watch. Everyone has been telling me how entertaining it was and how much they liked the fight, the heart I showed, and all that… It felt great walking out. It was weird, to be honest. Before we walked, we stood there waiting. I had a weird feeling. But it is one of them. You get weird feelings now and then. I didn’t feel as confident as I usually do,” said Paddy Pimblett via his YouTube.
Paddy Pimblett stated he believes he won the third and fourth rounds, insisting the fight was closer. Despite his claims, Justin Gaethje is now expected to face Ilia Topuria for the undisputed lightweight title.
That potential championship clash could reportedly take place at the highly anticipated White House UFC event. Meanwhile, Pimblett must regroup quickly and secure an emphatic victory to reestablish himself in contention.
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