UFC lightweight Benoit Saint Denis said “sorry” after he lost to Paddy Pimblett in the first round of their UFC 329 co-main event bout.
Despite entering the fight with Saint Denis as the betting underdog, the Scouser needed just 52 seconds to finish the Frenchman as “The Baddy” tapped out “God of War” with a vicious D’Arce choke after Saint Denis shot in for a takedown and got his neck caught in a tight squeeze.
It was a tough loss for Saint Denis, who saw his four-fight win streak snapped with the defeat to Pimblett, and it came on the biggest stage imaginable, as Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway 2 was the next fight on the card.
Benoit Saint Denis Issues Statement After Paddy Pimblett Loss
Breaking his silence after his loss at UFC 329, Saint Denis took to social media to issue a statement apologizing to his fans for losing to Pimblett by first-round submission.
“Thank you for your support. I am sorry to have let you down. I am learning the hard way, but I am learning. I will come back stronger. Kudos to Paddy for his performance. I am convinced our paths will cross again someday. See you soon,” Saint Denis wrote on his Instagram (Google translated from his native French).
What’s Next for Benoit Saint Denis After UFC 329?
There is no doubt this is a tough loss for Saint Denis, who was in line for a potential title shot at 155 lbs had he beaten Pimblett at UFC 329. Instead, he lost, so he now has to work his way back up to the division’s elite, as it was a major setback for him.
Of course, Saint Denis has been in this situation before, as it was just two years ago that he lost back-to-back fights via TKO to Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano before he won four straight fights by stoppage to climb back into the top of the UFC lightweight division’s rankings. So he certainly knows how to bounce back, as he’s done it before.
But this time around, it’s going to be a bit tougher for him to make that climb back to the top of the weight class, as there are more contenders in the division now who are also looking for big fights, and they are all going to be gunning for Saint Denis, who is a really good fighter but also someone who has proven that he is beatble and someone who can be finished.
For his next fight, look for Saint Denis to be matched up against someone else in the top 15 at 155 lbs. Fighters such as Rafael Fiziev, Tom Nolan, and Grant Dawson seem like potential matchups for Saint Denis, as they are all ranked fighters who are deserving of a step up in competition and who would be fresh fights for Saint Denis.
Don’t write off Saint Denis just yet, because he’s proven he has the mentality to bounce back from a loss before. But there’s no doubt this is a big setback.
Benoit Saint Denis Says ‘Sorry’ After Losing to Paddy Pimblett