St. Denis apologises to fans after Pimblett chokes him out in 52 seconds at UFC 329

Benoit St. Denis issued a public apology to his fans on Sunday after Paddy Pimblett choked him unconscious in just 52 seconds during the co-main event of UFC 329 in Las Vegas, ending the Frenchman’s four-fight finish streak.

St. Denis had entered the lightweight bout as the betting favourite, riding momentum from four consecutive finishes, while Pimblett was coming off his first UFC defeat. Instead, “The Baddy” secured a rapid submission that silenced those expectations and prompted widespread criticism of St. Denis’s game plan — particularly his decision to shoot for a takedown, a move Pimblett had publicly predicted would lead to a choke.

“Thank you all for your support. I’m sorry for letting you down and for not delivering the victory we had hoped for,” St. Denis wrote on X. “This defeat is brutal and hard to swallow, but it’s part of the journey. I learn through trials, I’ll draw every lesson from it, I’ll keep working hard, and I’ll come back stronger.”

St. Denis, now 17-4, also left the door open for a rematch. “Congratulations to Paddy for his performance. I’m convinced that one day, our paths will cross again,” he added.

Pimblett, who improves to 24-4, had telegraphed the finish beforehand, telling fans and media that a takedown attempt from St. Denis would hand him the submission. Analysts have since pointed to the timing of the fight as a factor — wrestlers and grapplers typically find submission escapes harder in the early rounds before perspiration makes limbs more difficult to hold.

St. Denis’s loss raises questions about where he goes next in a stacked UFC lightweight division, though his statement suggests he has no intention of stepping away from the sport.