Pimblett eyes McGregor's throne after 52-second win at UFC 329

Paddy Pimblett delivered a 52-second submission of top-10 lightweight Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329 on Saturday, then positioned himself as the heir to Conor McGregor’s throne after the Irish star’s long-awaited comeback collapsed in 69 seconds due to a leg injury.

McGregor’s return from a five-year absence ended almost immediately when he suffered a leg injury against Max Holloway, leaving fans questioning whether the soon-to-be 38-year-old two-division champion can ever recapture his prime form. The UFC captured Pimblett’s live reaction, and he wasted no time staking a claim.

“Oh my God, McGregor’s done already? Well, he’s finished, the new boy is in town,” Pimblett said. “The main man’s here. I can become the face of the organization now.”

By the time Pimblett reached the post-fight press conference, his tone had shifted. Asked about McGregor, he offered a more measured take on what the injury meant for a fighter who had invested so heavily in the comeback.

“It was sad to see,” Pimblett said. “But that’s the thing with this sport, you’ve got to stay consistent, you’ve got to keep fighting. Coming out and throwing a crazy kick like that, first thing, his knee just collapsed underneath him. I feel bad for him. He’s put so much into coming back and that happens in the first five seconds — you’ve got to feel for him.”

Pimblett has been building toward this kind of moment since joining the UFC in 2021. He won his first seven fights in the promotion, beating veterans Michael Chandler, King Green, and Tony Ferguson along the way, before falling short in an interim lightweight title shot against Justin Gaethje in January. His demolition of Saint Denis on Saturday was a statement rebound, and the Las Vegas crowd’s reception throughout fight week underlined his growing star power.

With McGregor’s future now uncertain, Pimblett made clear he has no intention of waiting his turn at the top of the lightweight division.

“I want to be a world champion,” he said. “I want to be the first-ever world champion from Liverpool and I’m going to do that. Whether it’s in the next fight or the next 10 fights, I’m going to be a world champion. It’s that simple.”

He also threw open a challenge to the entire division. “If you want me to fight Justin next, if you want me to fight ‘Posh Boy’ [Arman Tsarukyan], if you want me to fight ‘Chorizo’ [Ilia Topuria], if you want me to fight Charles [Oliveira] next — anyone can get it.”