Paddy Pimblett Wins Over Chael Sonnen for Max Holloway Fight

Paddy Pimblett's impressive win over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329 has caught the attention of UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen, who thinks a lightweight fight between Pimblett and Max Holloway is a great idea.

What happened?

Pimblett submitted Saint Denis in the co-main event of UFC 329, moving his UFC record to 8-1. Holloway, on the other hand, defeated Conor McGregor via first-round injury TKO in the main event. With UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje likely to take the rest of the year off, it's unclear what the rest of the division's top contenders will do next.

Why it matters for Paddy Pimblett

Sonnen believes that if Gaethje retires, a fight between Holloway and Pimblett, possibly for the vacant lightweight belt, could happen. Sonnen praised Pimblett's skills, saying, "Paddy is a very dangerous guy. I remember the days Paddy was just a young kid with good mic skills and a weird haircut. … Paddy really is special. There's nothing that says to me he can't be a world champion at the toughest weight class in the sport."

What comes next?

Sonnen thinks that a fight between Holloway and Pimblett would be a great idea, and he's not the only one. Arman Tsarukyan, another top contender, has expressed his desire to fight for the belt. However, Sonnen believes that Pimblett has what it takes to be the UFC lightweight champion one day. "Paddy vs. Max would be very hard to carve out Arman Tsarukyan right now. But Arman will let you know he just wants to fight. He would like a belt, but there doesn't have to be. Just get him an opponent. There is actually a pretty realistic way to get Max vs. Paddy and to get it next," Sonnen said.

Pimblett's win over Saint Denis put him in the upper echelon of lightweights, and he did it spectacularly, too. While he would love to get a rematch with Gaethje next, what seems far more likely is that he will have to fight another elite fighter in the weight class first, and then, if he wins that fight, we could be talking about a rematch against Gaethje, only this time with the undisputed UFC lightweight title on the line.

Pimblett's impressive performance has caught the attention of many in the MMA world, and it's clear that he's a force to be reckoned with. With Sonnen's endorsement, it's likely that we'll see Pimblett facing off against Holloway in the near future.

UFC 329 took place on 18 June, and Pimblett's win over Saint Denis was a major highlight of the event. With his impressive skills and Sonnen's endorsement, it's clear that Pimblett is a top contender in the lightweight division.