Paddy Pimblett, who has now secured eight victories in his nine UFC appearances, revealed that he considered walking away from the sport had he been defeated by Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 329. The 31-year-old fighter ended the bout in Las Vegas with a submission victory just 52 seconds into the first round.
This win marks a significant recovery for the Liverpool native, who was previously defeated by Justin Gaethje earlier this year. After the fight, his 24th victory in 28 professional appearances, Pimblett disclosed that he shared his retirement thoughts with trainer Paul Rimmer mid-camp. He explained that his ultimate ambition is to become a world champion, and he felt that losing to an opponent like Saint-Denis would signal that his goal was no longer attainable.
The motivation for his improved training performance was partially driven by watching Justin Gaethje defeat Ilia Topuria. This result provided the spark he needed to push himself through the final stages of his preparation. Following the win, Pimblett climbed to fifth in the lightweight rankings, while Saint-Denis dropped to eighth. Although fans are eager for a potential rematch between Pimblett and Gaethje, the division remains crowded with other top-tier contenders such as Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, and Max Holloway.
