Dustin Poirier (30-10 1 NC) has backed Paddy Pimblett (23-4) to upset Benoit Saint-Denis (17-3, 1NC) at UFC 329, pointing to Paddy’s durability in his loss to Justin Gaethje as the key factor.
Pimblett enters the fight as the betting underdog following his unanimous decision loss to Gaethje for the interim lightweight title on January 24. It was Pimblett’s first loss inside the Octagon, and the loss denied him the opportunity to challenge UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria on the June 14 White House card. Meanwhile, Saint-Denis is on a four-fight win streak with all four of those wins coming by stoppage. A win would push Pimblett back into title contention, and Dustin explained the reason he feels Paddy will win is because he’s superior to Saint-Denis on his feet.
“I’ve got Paddy. I just compare it to the Gaethje fight. I think if BSD fought Gaethje, Gaethje would stop him on the feet. Paddy took it and was still able to keep walking forward. He definitely has a chin. I just don’t know if BSD is going to be able to get him down. I think Paddy probably wins on the feet. BSD is not that slick on the feet. He might have power — and he’s not scared to take chances. He’ll walk in front of you, get in your face, and put himself in harm’s way to land his shots. I just think Paddy is probably a little bit better on the feet,” Pimblett said