Paddy Pimblett is an elite lightweight, no questions asked.
Throughout his career, and especially since his arrival in the UFC, Paddy Pimblett has had his haters. Fans who don’t believe the hype. Fans who refuse to accept the evidence that sits right in front of them. Whatever the Liverpudlian did in the Octagon always had a caveat, an asterisk, a reason for why he couldn’t possibly become a UFC world champion. As Pimblett himself has described it, people keep moving the goalposts.
With each opponent vanquished came new reasons for why Pimblett wouldn’t ever make it to the top of the UFC. He’s too easy to hit. Too wide open. His grappling isn’t elite. He doesn’t have control of his diet. He’s not battle-tested against the best. This opponent was washed. That opponent had a bad night. Pimblett got lucky. The list goes on.
But now, on Monday, July 13, 2026, it’s time for people to wake up and smell the coffee, and admit that Paddy Pimblett is an elite lightweight, and he stands as good a chance as any top lightweight contender of becoming undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
Saturday night saw him face Benoit Saint Denis, a fearsome fighter who suffocates his opponents with pressure. A former French special forces soldier who has literally been in the trenches, so fighting in them is no problem for him whatsoever. He’s beaten surging contenders like Mauricio Ruffy, and wily veterans like Beneil Dariush, and after putting together a four-fight win streak through 2025 and the start of 2026, he arrived at UFC 329 in form, with a lot of people picking him to consign Pimblett to back-to-back defeats in the UFC.
Pimblett was looking to rebound after a decision loss to Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight belt. He may have lost that fight, but Pimblett proved that he was made of the right stuff as he took “The Highlight” the distance in a superb performance. When Gaethje then went on to finish pound-for-pound star Ilia Topuria to unify the titles at UFC Freedom 250, Pimblett’s performance in defeat started to age very well indeed. But it would count for nothing if he couldn’t beat Saint Denis.
Many felt that Pimblett would be dragged into deep waters by Saint Denis, whose brand of aggressive pressure had proved too much for nine of his 12 opponents to that point. But on Saturday night, Pimblett had his man well scouted, and had the world-class technique to counter him.
When Saint Denis shot in for a takedown, Pimblett immediately snatched up the Frenchman’s neck with a guillotine choke. Then, as Saint Denis looked to fight his way out of danger, Pimblett switched techniques and locked up a Peruvian necktie to render “The God of War” unconscious in just 52 seconds.
It was quick, it was decisive, and there was no luck about it. It was a masterclass of preparation, skill and the ability to execute at speed on the biggest stage in the sport.
After that victory, there will probably still be people who choose to diminish Pimblett’s performance. But make no mistake, there are few, if any lightweights in the world who could have reacted and countered as slickly, smartly, and devastatingly as Pimblett on Saturday night.
That’s why there should be no doubt over Pimblett’s credentials as a legitimate championship contender at 155 pounds, and why he should be either in a title fight, or a title eliminator, for his next appearance.
It’s time for the goalposts to stop moving, and for Pimblett to get the respect he deserves.
