Ahead of UFC 329, we are looking at the biggest storylines going into the event. Today: The critical juncture for both Paddy Pimblett and BSD.
As has been seen often, there are many different paths to UFC gold.
Some are like the proverbial rocket to the top of the division, a straight line upward unimpeded. Others are like a graph, with peaks and valleys that through resilience continue to go upward until they reach the summit.
Paddy Pimblett has very much been the former in the UFC. The Cage Warriors star debuted in 2021 with much fanfare. What came next has been one of the most notable ascents to stardom of the 2020’s for the UFC. Pimblett would be a featured attraction on events in his native United Kingdom, receiving special treatments for his walkouts despite more established veterans coming later on the card. But it became clear his star had outgrown even the rambunctious crowds of Europe as the UFC began to put him in featured bouts on numbered events in the United States. It was a move that paid dividends for the UFC. It was clear his star power was also high in the US.
BAD TO THE BONE 😤@PaddyTheBaddy aims to take home the interim lightweight belt at #UFC324!
[ LIVE JAN 24 at 9pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/OEtPvD2whS
— UFC (@ufc) January 20, 2026
In January, he was heavily favored to get past the older Justin Gaethje and set up a fight with undisputed champion Ilia Topuria with whom he’d had a viral confrontation with in the Octagon months earlier. It was not meant to be though as Gaethje turned in a brilliant performance to route “The Baddy” and claim interim gold.
Today, the lightweight division is in a unique place. Gaethje is now undisputed champion and has handed both Pimblett and Topuria their first UFC losses. Top contender Arman Tsaruyan awaits a matchup for the second half of the year and reigning BMF champion Charles Oliveira looks to convert a prior win over Gaethje into a rematch for undisputed gold.
This creates a pivotal moment for Pimblett. He remains hugely popular and has the distinction of being the lead-in for the return of Conor McGregor on Saturday. A victory in his return to action would put him in play for one of the outliers in the title picture and a chance to keep him on the short list for a crack at the belt. Considering how many contenders he has not fought at the top of the division, it’s far from out of the question that he could be in contention again going into 2027.
Of course, that is assuming he gets past Benoit Saint Denis. “The God of War” has not enjoyed the same push as Pimblett since he joined the UFC back in 2021 as well. He dropped his promotional debut as a welterweight that night and went on to work his way up the rankings as a lightweight with five straight finishes. A dangerous contender to be sure, but UFC star he was not quite yet.
Absolute control 😮💨
@BenoitSt_Denis is ready to make it 5 consecutive wins in the co-main event at #UFC329![ LIVE JULY 11 at 9pmET on @ParamountPlus ] pic.twitter.com/DNmCEZwyLK
— UFC (@ufc) July 1, 2026
Then came pivotal opportunities that led to stumbles. A showcase bout against Dustin Poirier saw his win-streak snapped. He was granted a headliner in his subsequent appearance, but he would be on the losing side again as he lost to Renato Moicano as the home country favorite in France. It appeared very much so that the figurative buckets of cold water had been dropped on the hot-streak that he had worked so hard to build.
What came next has been nothing short of impressive. He’s turned in four straight victories by stoppage, submitting surging contender Mauricio Ruffy and stopping perennially ranked fighters Beneil Dariush and Dan Hooker. The victory has placed him in prime position to be a breath of fresh air to the lightweight title picture and he has already been calling for a fight for the BMF belt. Where once he was overlooked, his current win-streak has many coming over to the idea of his bid to get the opportunity.
One of the UFC’s most well-received programs was fittingly titled “The Thrill and the Agony.” The same can be said for a long journey to becoming a contender. For those who have taken the long route to the top of the division, to not be able to convert one’s success into a fight for the belt could very well be described as agony. It is what makes Saint Denis, and Pimblett for that matter, the gladiators of this day and age. Because for as much as is at stake and as much work as they have put in, the two are definitely leaving it all on the line for a chance to take a big step forward.
