UFC legend Dustin Poirier shared his prediction for the lightweight bout at UFC 329 between Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis.
The Pimblett vs. Saint Denis fight is scheduled to be the co-main event for UFC 329, which takes place on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card’s headliner is a five-round welterweight bout between Conor McGregor and Max Holloway, a fight that Poirier also recently offered his prediction for.
Dustin Poirier Predicts Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint Denis
Speaking on the “Deep Waters” podcast, Poirier shared his prediction for Pimblett vs. Saint Denis. Perhaps surprisingly, he is backing the underdog in the fight.
“I’ve got Paddy. Both guys are great fighters. I just compare it to the (Justin) Gaethje fight. I think if BSD fought Gaethje, Gaethje would stop him on the feet. Paddy took it and was still able to keep walking forward. He definitely has a chin. I just don’t know if BSD is going to be able to get him down,” Poirier said (via MMAjunkie.com).
“I think Paddy probably wins on the feet. BSD is not that slick on the feet. He might have power – and he’s not scared to take chances. He’ll walk in front of you, get in your face, and put himself in harm’s way to land his shots. I just think Paddy is probably a little bit better on the feet.”
UFC 329 is a Big Opportunity for Paddy Pimblett & Benoit Saint Denis
There is no doubt that this lightweight bout between Pimblett and Saint Denis is a big opportunity for both Pimblett and Saint Denis, who are each looking to stay in title contention in one of the UFC’s deepest and most talented weight classes.
Pimblett is coming off a decision loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 earlier this year that resulted in his first loss inside the Octagon after winning his first seven UFC bouts. Despite that loss, though, you can’t completely write off Pimblett, who is the No. 6-ranked lightweight in the UFC. Before losing to Gaethje, he was coming off a dominant win over Michael Chandler in his fight before that, which showed the level of fighter that he is when he’s at the top of his game.
As for Saint Denis, he has won his last four fights in a row and has turned heads after he had been finished by Poirier and Renato Moicano in his two fights before this current winning streak. A true finisher in every sense of the word, the Frenchman has stopped his last four foes inside the Octagon. In fact, all 17 of his career victories have come by knockout or submission, so he will surely be looking to get the finish on Pimblett, though the Scouser is notoriously tough, as he showed in the fight with Gaethje. Saint Denis enters this bout as the No. 5-ranked lightweight in the UFC, so he will be the one fighting down the rankings in this bout, though a win over Pimblett would be big for his resume either way.
UFC Legend Predicts Paddy Pimblett vs. Benoit Saint Denis