Paddy Pimblett says Justin Gaethje’s upset changed his UFC 329 mindset

Paddy Pimblett revealed that his UFC 329 victory over Benoit St. Denis carried profound career implications—had he lost, retirement would have been a serious consideration. The Liverpool lightweight defeated St. Denis via submission in the first round of their co-main event bout at UFC 329 in Las Vegas on Saturday, exactly as he had predicted beforehand.

Pimblett (24-4) admitted that in the weeks leading up to the fight, he questioned whether continuing made sense if he couldn't defeat St. Denis (17-4). With championship aspirations central to his career motivation, Pimblett viewed the bout as a litmus test for his title prospects. "If I can't beat BSD, I'm never going to be a world champion," Pimblett explained on the UFC's "About Last Fight" podcast. "And that's what I do this for. I do this to be the best in the world. So, if I can't beat him, what?"

Pimblett's mindset shifted dramatically following Justin Gaethje's shocking upset victory over Ilia Topuria to claim the undisputed lightweight title at UFC Freedom 250, which occurred just days before the St. Denis fight. Coming off his own loss to Gaethje, Pimblett was reinvigorated by the result. "And then two days later, Justin Gaethje beats Ilia Topuria. And it was one of the biggest kicks up the ass I've ever had in me life," Pimblett said. "Set a fire underneath me and just the last couple of weeks of this training camp have been unbelievable. I'm ready to kill anyone."