​Conor McGregor dominated the headlines emerging from UFC 329 after suffering a knee injury in his main-event defeat to Max Holloway, but another foreign fighter delivered the night’s standout performance inside the Octagon. Paddy Pimblett bounced back in a big way with a rapid submission victory over Benoit Saint Denis in the lightweight co-main event. The British phenom, who entered as the underdog, maneuvered Saint Denis into a swift Peruvian necktie just under a minute into the bout, cementing his return to the win column.
The result pushed the 31-year-old Pimblett from Liverpool to a 24-4 record, a return to form following a January 2026 decision loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324. In his last 11 fights, Pimblett has gone 10-1, with five of those wins coming by submission. In a post-fight interview, he exclaimed, “Sub of the year, (expletive)! I knew he was out. I’m like a (expletive) spider. When I get hold of you, you don’t get out. What now? Am I finished? Who wants it next?”
Pimblett didn’t waste time after exiting the cage, using the moment to call out McGregor just as the Notorious One returned to action and fell to Holloway. The two veterans have traded barbs over the years, and like McGregor, Pimblett is also a former Cage Warriors champion, having held the featherweight title at one point.
For his finish, Pimblett earned an additional $100,000 and claimed the “Performance of the Night” honor, his sixth such accolade in his career, adding to a shared “Fight of the Night” award with Gaethje. The scenario at UFC 329 left fans pondering what lies ahead for Conor McGregor as Holloway’s performance and the event’s other outcomes create a busy road map for future matchups and potential rematches.
In the broader context of UFC 329’s results and highlights, Holloway’s victory over McGregor underscored the ongoing momentum around the featherweight division, while Pimblett’s rapid submission underscored the influence of versatile grapplers who can turn fights in a hurry. As the results settle, fans and analysts alike will be watching to see whether McGregor recovers quickly enough to pursue another title shot or marquee confrontation, and whether Pimblett’s ascent continues on its current trajectory or faces a new set of challenges at the top of the division. With Holloway signaling interest in a future clash with McGregor to potentially bolster SEO and visibility around the matchup, UFC 329 has set the stage for an intriguing chapter in both fighters’ trajectories. The Sporting News will continue to cover these developments and provide ongoing analysis and reporting on how the post-UFC 329 landscape unfolds.