Paddy Pimblett drops clear hint at Benoit Saint-Denis fight on Conor McGregor return card

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Paddy Pimblett has dropped another hint about his next opponent, and it’s starting to look like Benoit Saint-Denis is the man he’ll be facing.

Pimblett, who fought for the interim lightweight title back in January, is now set to begin his climb back up the division at UFC 329 on July 11. The main event is still being billed as Conor McGregor’s return fight, with Max Holloway a possible opponent.

There’s been talk that Pimblett vs. Saint-Denis will serve as the co-main event. Saint-Denis hinted at it earlier this month, and now Pimblett has responded with a not-so-subtle tease of his own, having already confirmed several times that he’ll be fighting on July 11.

Paddy Pimblett drops clear hint about facing Benoit Saint-Denis

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Paddy Pimblett has been dropping hints about his next fight, especially after Benoit Saint-Denis said he’d be taking on a British opponent. Pimblett recently shared a post where he mentioned training with southpaws, suggesting it was ideal preparation for who’s up next. But his latest move leaves little to the imagination.

In his latest YouTube video, Pimblett is seen starting his training camp, with coaches mentioning that he’s about 12 weeks out from fight night. At the end of the clip, he jokes that he’ll let the UFC make the official announcement rather than spoil anything himself.

He made those comments while wearing a beret, holding a baguette and wearing a garlic necklace. It all points pretty clearly to a French opponent, and there aren’t many options in the lightweight top 10 that fit that description outside of Saint-Denis.

Pimblett is coming off his first UFC loss to Justin Gaethje. He had spent nearly five years climbing towards a title shot and isn’t looking for an easier path now—this would be his first fight as an underdog in the promotion.