Paddy Pimblett's 60-second submission at UFC 329 sparks Ilia Topuria callouts

Paddy Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint Denis in under 60 seconds at UFC 329 on Saturday night, silencing critics and earning immediate callouts for a fight with former two-division champion Ilia Topuria.

The Liverpool lightweight needed less than a minute to put Saint Denis to sleep at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, bouncing back from his first UFC loss to Justin Gaethje in January. The finish marked Pimblett's 10th victory in 11 outings and had fighters on social media questioning whether he deserves a marquee fight next. Veteran Matt Brown posted on Twitter, "Ilia vs. Paddy next? Easiest matchmaking ever right?"

Fighters react to Pimblett's statement win

MMA Fighting captured the wave of reactions from active and retired competitors. Featherweight Billy Quarantillo wrote, "Quick submission Paddy is the real deal," while former title challengers Kenny Florian and Glover Teixeira joined the chorus praising Pimblett's grappling on the co-main event of a card headlined by Conor McGregor's return against Max Holloway.

The submission was Pimblett's fastest finish since joining the UFC roster and reestablished him as a legitimate contender in a lightweight division that had written him off following the Gaethje setback. Whether the UFC books a Topuria fight remains to be seen, but the performance at UFC 329 gave Pimblett the leverage to demand a top-five opponent when he returns to the cage.

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• MMA Fighting — ‘Ilia vs. Paddy next?’: Pros react to Paddy Pimblett’s dominant submission win at UFC 329