A Swift Return to Form
Paddy Pimblett made a powerful statement at UFC 329, needing less than a minute to silence his critics following his first loss since 2018. The English fighter delivered one of the most surprising finishes of the evening, putting Benoît Saint Denis to sleep with a D'Arce choke just 52 seconds into the opening round. This feat now stands as the second-fastest D'Arce choke submission in the history of the UFC, trailing only the record held by Kyle Daukaus by a mere two seconds.
«Sub of the year, bes. I knew he was out. My man was face-down eating canvas,» Pimblett (24-4) declared following his dominant performance.
How the Fight Unfolded
The sequence that ended the bout began quickly when Saint Denis (17-4, 1 NC) attempted a high kick just nine seconds into the fight before aggressively transitioning into a takedown attempt. Pimblett countered with a guillotine, and as the fighters moved to the ground, he successfully locked in the D'Arce choke. Despite Saint Denis' efforts, he was unable to escape the submission, leading to a quick referee intervention.
Looking Toward the Future
This victory serves as a crucial turnaround for Pimblett. In January, his momentum was stalled following a difficult five-round loss to current UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, a defeat that had led many observers to doubt his position among the sport's elite.
Addressing his detractors after the win, Pimblett showed no signs of lacking ambition:
«Everyone said I was finished because I got beat by Gaethje. What now? Am I finished? Who wants it next? I'll beat Ilia. I'll rematch Justin. I'll fight Conor [McGregor] or Max [Holloway]. I don't give a f. Give me anyone, and I'll punch their fing head in.»
Pimblett capped off his post-fight appearance with a vocal tribute to late Liverpool star Diogo Jota and his brother, Andres.