UFC 329: Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett Tale of the Tape, Predictions, & Betting Odds

Most everyone who will be coming to the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 11, for UFC 329 will be doing so to see the villain, Conor McGregor, take on the hero, Max Holloway. But we have quite a few intriguing fights on the card before we get to the main course.

In the co-main event, two of the most violent and exciting young contenders in the lightweight division match up. No. 5 Benoit Saint-Denis, who has won four straight fights, will look to continue climbing up that lightweight chart as he takes on No. 9 Paddy Pimblett, who got bloodied in his last outing, an interim title fight against Justin Gaethje, who went on to win the full title in a shocker at UFC Freedom last month.

Can the God of War continue ripping through the division like a hot knife through butter, or will Paddy the Baddy bounce back from his last scrap to set up a potential title rematch with Gaethje down the road? Read on for our full fight preview, including our tale of the tape, UFC betting predictions, and latest odds!

UFC 329: UFC 329: Benoit Saint-Denis vs. Paddy Pimblett Main Card Bout - Tale of the Tape, Picks, & Odds - July 11

All odds provided by Powerplay.

Tale of the Tape:

Fight Analysis & Prediction

No. 5 Benoit Saint-Denis vs. No. 9 Paddy Pimblett Lightweight Main Card Bout Betting Odds

Benoit Saint-Denis (17-3, 1 NC) has been like a battering ram since he joined the UFC in 2021. He lost his debut in a decision to Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, but he hasn’t seen the final bell since. He has gone 9-2 during that run, with his losses coming back-to-back via KO and TKO in 2024.

“God of War” has won four straight fights since that hiccup, climbing back up the lightweight rankings with impressive wins against top contenders Mauricio Ruffy, Beneil Dariush, and Dan Hooker, the last two of which came via his striking rather than his more common submission method.

Paddy Pimblett (23-4) comes into this one looking to get back on track after getting beaten pretty good by Gaethje in January. He had won his first seven straight UFC appearances prior to that, though his recent track record isn’t as impressive as BSD’s.

His three most recent wins came against what you could call the over-the-hill gang: 39-year-old Tony Ferguson, 38-year-old King Green, and 39-year-old Michael Chandler. Not exactly a murderer’s row.

The only way we can see Saint-Denis losing this fight is if he overthinks it and changes up his style. If he is aggressive and on the front foot as he usually is, he should be able to overwhelm Pimblett with his power and volume and get him to the ground where he likes to do his most damage.

Pimblett is a dangerous wrestler as well, so the Frenchman will need to be careful once he does get his prey to the mat, and with a 44 percent takedown defense for Pimblett, that shouldn’t be too tough. However, Pimblett has not been finished since 2013, so we’ll play it safe and stick with BSD’s slight favourite odds here.

Best Bet: Benoit Saint-Denis Moneyline (-140)