UFC Star Benoit Saint-Denis Addresses Fans After 52-Second Loss to Paddy Pimblett

Benoit Saint-Denis has shared an update with fans following his stunning loss to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 329.

Headlined by Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return fight against Max Holloway, UFC 329 ended up being an action-packed affair that produced a total of 11 finishes out of the 14 scheduled fights.

The card unfortunately ended in anticlimactic fashion when McGregor almost immediately injured his knee and lost via injury TKO in 69 seconds, but that ended up only being the second fastest finish of the night.

Paddy Pimblett Stunned Benoit Saint-Denis With 52-Second Finish at UFC 329

Coming into the night on a four-fight finishing streak, Saint-Denis likely would have found himself in the conversation for a fight against recently-crowned UFC Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje if he had secured another win UFC 329.

Benoit Saint Denis (left) faces off with Paddy Pimblett during weigh ins for UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Slightly favored to get his hand raised when the cage door closed, “God of War” didn’t even have a chance to really get settled into the fight before he found himself fighting off a submission attempt from Pimblett.

Benoit Saint Denis (red gloves) fights Paddy Pimblett (blue gloves) in a lightweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Saint-Denis forced Pimblett to make several adjustments and stay committed to the D’Arce choke, but eventually the Frenchman fell unconscious and “The Baddy” was left to run off and celebrate an incredible win that came just 52 seconds into the fight.

Benoit Saint-Denis Shares First Update After UFC 329 Loss

Taking to Instagram a few days after UFC 329, Saint-Denis thanked fans for their support and said he hopes that he’ll get the chance to share the cage with Pimblett again at some point in the future.

“Thank you for your support. I am sorry to have let you down. I am learning the hard way, but I am learning. I will come back stronger. Kudos to Paddy for his performance. I am convinced our paths will cross again someday. See you soon.”

Paddy Pimblett (blue gloves) celebrates after defeating Benoit Saint Denis (red gloves) in a lightweight bout during UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Following the loss, Saint-Denis fell three spots down to #8 in the Meta AI UFC rankings for the lightweight division, while Pimblett vaulted up four places to #5.

What's Next for "God of War" After UFC 329?

“The Baddy” now finds himself in the mix for a potential title eliminator as fans wait to see who his former opponent Gaethje will defend his lightweight belt against first, while Saint-Denis is left to regroup after nearly matching the best win streak of his UFC career.

The 30-year-old made his UFC debut on short notice in 2021 at UFC 267, where he took on Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos in a welterweight bout and suffered the first loss of his MMA career.

Benoit Saint Denis (red gloves) fights Mauricio Ruffy (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Returning to his natural lightweight division the following year, Saint-Denis submitted Niklas Stolze to kick off what turned into a five-fight run of finishes that also saw him secure a total of three post-fight bonuses.

A UFC 299 meeting with Dustin Poirier saw Saint-Denis earn “Fight of the Night” honors but suffer a knockout-loss in the second round, and the Frenchman was also stopped by Renato Moicano in his next outing at UFC Paris.

Benoit Saint Denis (blue gloves) fights Dustin Poirier (red gloves) during UFC 299 at Kaseya Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“God of War” rebounded with another four-fight streak of finishes that included wins over top lightweights Dan Hooker, Beneil Dariush, and Mauricio Ruffy before he fell short against Pimblett last Saturday.

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