Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has offered insight into the Ultimate Fighting Championship's decision to pit Liverpudlian star Paddy Pimblett against Benoit Saint-Denis. The highly anticipated lightweight bout is set to feature as the co-main event at UFC 329 this Saturday, 19 July 2026, with Conor McGregor and Max Holloway headlining the card.
Pimblett, known as 'Paddy The Baddy', is looking to rebound from his first defeat within the promotion. In January, he was comprehensively outpointed by Justin Gaethje in an interim title fight. Gaethje has since moved on to challenge Ilia Topuria for the undisputed lightweight championship, while Pimblett faces a significant challenge in Saint-Denis.
Bisping, a UK native and current UFC commentator, explained that the match-up was largely unavoidable given Pimblett's current standing in the lightweight division. He told The Independent, "This is the world that Paddy’s in now. He’s highly ranked in the lightweight division, and unless you’re going to go backwards and fight someone that’s ranked 10 or 12 – which doesn’t make sense – then these are the types of match-ups that he's going to have going forward." Bisping emphasised that Pimblett is now "swimming in deep waters" among the division's elite.
The former champion also highlighted the scarcity of suitable opponents for Pimblett. With Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje fighting for the belt, Arman Tsarukyan as a back-up, Charles Oliveira having recently defeated Max Holloway, and Holloway himself scheduled to fight Conor McGregor later this year, the options were limited. Bisping noted that while someone like Mateusz Gamrot is a dangerous fighter, he lacks the mainstream profile that matches Pimblett's current superstar status.
Pimblett, aged 31, is widely regarded as a superior grappler, but Saint-Denis, 30, also possesses strong grappling skills and notable striking power. Bisping acknowledged the danger Saint-Denis poses, recalling his 2024 fight against Dustin Poirier where Saint-Denis caused significant problems before ultimately losing by knockout. Saint-Denis has since secured four consecutive stoppage victories, including a second-round TKO of Dan Hooker in January, demonstrating his form coming into this fight.