Coming off an interim title fight loss to Justin Gaethje, who would go on to claim undisputed lightweight gold at the White House last month, what must Paddy Pimblett do to ensure that the setback does not hinder the comeback? And to show that he can get back to the top of the lightweight division again?
That was the question posed to Pimblett by Cageside Press during Thursday’s UFC 329 pre-fight press conference. And as Pimblett pointed out, setbacks aren’t exactly uncharted territory in his career. While he’s won far more than he’s lost, he has lost before.
“I know I can get back, I’ve done this before. I lost in Cage Warriors when I was a kid, and I’ve had to come back before and build myself up,” stated Pimblett (23-4). “This is no different. I’m going to come back and I’m going to win on Saturday night, and put myself right back in the mix for a title shot.”
Getting back in the mix may just be achieved by ending Benoit St-Denis’s night early. And collecting the associated bonus money. “You’ve got to back yourself, haven’t ya? I’m coming out to get a finish, and come away with a bonus,” Pimblett said later in the presser. “I’ve got kids to feed now lad, I want to get that bonus to go home with. So I’m coming, I’m hunting for it.”
As for opponent St-Denis, the French lightweight commented on having his home country supporting him. “I’m blessed and honored to have a whole country behind me, and I’m fighting for them. I’m going everything I can by grinding to go to the top. This is my story, and I love it.”
UFC 329 takes place on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit St-Denis serves as the night’s co-main event.
