Pimblett Chokes Out Saint-Denis

Paddy Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint-Denis with a D'Arce choke that rendered him unconscious in under sixty seconds at UFC 329.

Saint-Denis came forward immediately, partially connecting with a high kick before shooting for a takedown. As Saint-Denis completed the takedown, Pimblett was already moving — one arm wrapping around the neck, shifting to the side, adjusting position until his hands connected around the choke. Once they did, Saint-Denis had seconds. The French fighter went limp, referee stepping in as the blood choke took full effect.

Pimblett was not short of options when asked what comes next. He mentioned Ilia Topuria, Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, and Max Holloway as potential targets. McGregor is now recovering from another leg injury after the first-round stoppage loss in the main event.

Any of those fights would represent a significant step up. Any of them would also generate the kind of audience Pimblett has proven he can draw since arriving in the UFC. The performance on Saturday night — clean, decisive, technically precise in a way that the D'Arce choke demands — strengthens his argument for being placed in that conversation sooner rather than later.

McGregor mentioned Pimblett as a potential future opponent during fight week. That conversation has been complicated by the events of the main event, but if McGregor's injury heals and the UFC contract gets extended, the match makes commercial sense.