​Paddy Pimblett may have burned more energy during his UFC 329 walkout than the actual fight itself. In the co-main event Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Pimblett, who entered the cage with his usual high pace and showmanship, secured a swift victory that lasted only 52 seconds. He faced Benoit Saint Denis in a hotly anticipated lightweight matchup, and the result was a swift end in Pimblett’s favor as he locked in a D’Arce choke that Saint Denis could not escape.
The fight unfolded in a straightforward manner. Saint Denis initiated the engagement by shooting in for a takedown, but Pimblett countered immediately, catching him in a choke that would prove decisive. Pimblett made a few subtle adjustments as the fight began to unfold, notably choosing to sit back on his heels and place his rear on the canvas while securing the choke. Saint Denis attempted to find a way out, to escape the hold and breathe again, but his efforts were in vain as the pressure of Pimblett’s grip and the angle of the submission kept him from breaking free.
Pimblett, now 31, demonstrated resilience and poise as he rebounded from a setback earlier in the year. The victory came after an interim title fight loss to Justin Gaethje in January, which marked Pimblett’s first defeat inside the UFC and interrupted a nine-fight winning streak. In the months that followed, Gaethje would go on to claim undisputed gold by defeating Ilia Topuria in June, a development that appears to have aged well for Pimblett and his supporters, who have watched him steady his course after a tough moment.
Saint Denis, 30, tasted defeat by submission for the first time in his professional career, and his four-fight winning streak came to an abrupt end in the wake of Pimblett’s swift finish. The bout concluded with Pimblett defeating Saint Denis via technical submission—D’Arce choke—in Round 1 at 0:52.
This report originally appeared on MMA Junkie, highlighting the UFC 329 results and Pimblett’s dramatic early finish. The event’s coverage notes Pimblett’s methodical choke and the rapid pace at which the fight culminated, contributing to the broader narrative of Pimblett’s career trajectory as he continues to ascend in the UFC’s lightweight division. The result adds another chapter to a career characterized by quick, decisive finishes and a flair for dramatic moments inside the Octagon, while Saint Denis departs with a first-time submission loss and a disrupted four-fight winning streak.