Din Thomas is siding with the slight underdog, predicting Paddy Pimblett will defeat Benoit Saint Denis in their UFC 329 co-main event clash at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Saint Denis enters the bout with a 17-3 professional record and a 9-3 mark in the UFC, while Pimblett holds a 23-4 record overall and is 7-1 inside the Octagon. The matchup is set for the co-main slot under the UFC banner.
Breaking down the fight, Thomas highlighted durability and defense as key factors. "That's going to be his biggest problem against Paddy: Paddy absorbs punches better," Thomas said. He added, "I think Benoit Saint Denis' defense is a little too suspect, and I think Paddy's going to hit him more often. Paddy's going to get hit a lot, too, but the difference is, when Paddy gets hit, Paddy has thatCharles Oliveira'It' factor in terms of you can get hit and then you just fall to your back and recover – and Paddy can do that."
Thomas also pointed to Pimblett’s grappling. "I think Paddy's jiu-jitsu is good enough on his back to where even knocked down, he's instinctively making good decisions and tying him up and threatening enough to where he's not eating too many punches, as long as it doesn't get stopped."
"I'm going with Paddy," Thomas said, noting his track record of picking against "The God of War" Saint Denis. "I've not picked Benoit Saint Denis in his like last four fights – which he's won them all. I've picked the other guy, and I'm still going to pick against him in this fight. I still think Paddy's going to win. ... I fully believe MMA is better when Paddy is winning. He's got star-like qualities, he's good for MMA, he's very charismatic, he's easily watched."
