LAS VEGAS — Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett was on the brink of escalating his career to new heights, teetering on the edge of UFC glory, until Justin Gaethje disrupted his trajectory.
At UFC 324, the debut event for UFC on Paramount+, Pimblett found himself the anticipated victor against seasoned fighter Gaethje, with a potential title opportunity looming had he succeeded. His track to stardom seemed inevitable.
The charismatic Englishman didn’t just win his fights; he enthralled audiences with his striking flair and theatrical style inside the octagon, earning multiple finishes and performance bonuses. Fans quickly rallied behind his flamboyant persona.
However, Gaethje, who had recently seized the lightweight championship under unexpected circumstances by besting Ilia Topuria, was not to be underestimated. During their January bout, he dominated Pimblett, securing a unanimous decision victory. Gaethje’s assault was so formidable that Pimblett had never before endured such punishment, being knocked down twice.
Reflecting on these past events, Pimblett, who is set to face Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event of UFC 329, remarked to The Post, “I can’t start demanding title fights. I’m not even on a win streak. Once I beat BSD, I’ll be on a one-fight— it’s not even a streak— it’s just a win. I didn’t even ask for a title fight when I got the Gaethje fight.”
Saint-Denis, a former member of the French Army Special Forces, profiles as one of the toughest matches for Pimblett at lightweight — and is going into the bout fearless.
Though Pimblett views his opponent as a less dangerous version of Gaethje.
“I’ve fought people like him,” Pimblett said. “We’ve done a lot of specific stuff, obviously, for the type of grappling he does. We’ll be ready for him… He’s a not-as-good version of Justin Gaethje on the feet.”
Though the 31-year-old Pimblett said he still has the edge in grappling.
“People talk about his grappling… even [Renato] Moicano absolutely schooled him on the ground. Moicano busted him up bad and schooled him on the floor,” Pimblett said.
Pimblett said he expected the fight, which is the co-main event for Conor McGregor’s return against Max Holloway, to be a five-round fight. He added that he signs whatever the UFC puts in front of him and that he doesn’t know for certain that Saint-Denis asked for a three-round fight, but it’s the “only explanation” for it being three rounds.
“I think he must have asked for it to be three rounds because he knows he gasses after two,” Pimblett said. I’ll be shocked if this fight gets to the third round, but if it does, I’ll be putting a third-round beating on him.”
Pimblett is well known for his talks about mental health, as well as for criticism of his dietary habits, and is able to tune out all that noise these days.
“I just can’t wait to weigh in,” Pimblett said. “Get some post-weigh-in food, and then that’s the fun part.”
Pimblett added that he has “all sorts” of different food choices in his head, as he’s currently knee-deep in a weight cut that could see him drop from nearly 175 pounds to 155 pounds within 10 days.
“It’s dedication and hard work,” Pimblett said. “People say I’m not dedicated because I put weight on when I’m out of camp, but I’m not fighting then, I can do what I want. When I’m in camp, and I’ve got a weight to make, I’m the most dedicated fighter you’ve ever seen. I have to be to make weight.
“People think that I’m mostly just trying to kill myself to make weight. I don’t; I just have to be structured and know what I’m eating every day. People always ask me, ‘What’s the trick?’ There is no trick. You just have to eat fewer calories than you burn every day, and you’ll keep losing weight consistently.”