Firas Zahabi wishes that the co-main event of UFC 329 was happening at a different event.
Conor McGregor returning following his failed comeback in 2024 was always going to result in one of the biggest events of the year.
‘The Notorious’ is enough to generate a huge amount of interest all by himself, meaning the promotion didn’t need to stack this year’s International Fight Week.
While Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint Denis is a great co-main event for July 11, Zahabi would have preferred it if this matchup received its own spotlight.
LATEST NEWS: UFC commentator says Conor McGregor must revert after approach to previous returns ‘hasn’t worked’
Firas Zahabi says Paddy Pimblett vs Benoit Saint Denis is too good to not be a main event
Paddy Pimblett and Benoit Saint Denis have a good chance of earning a bonus due to the styles they bring to the Octagon.
While Firas Zahabi is very excited for this fight, he has one issue with it that is stopping it from being even better.
The legendary coach of Georges St-Pierre acknowledged that while fans can expect to see 15 minutes of chaos, the matchup is simply too good to not be a main event.
“I would have loved to see this as a five-rounder to be honest with you guys,” he said on the Tristar Gym YouTube channel. “A main event five-rounder. This could have been a main event on its own… I wish this fight got five rounds. Why? It’s too good of a fight. It’s too good of a fight. Two guys who are not scared to throw, who are both super aggressive and are both amazing grapplers.”
While the UFC has put on five-round non-title bouts in the co-main event of numbered cards in the past, it has yet to do this as of 2026.
LATEST NEWS: Conor McGregor and one other fighter on his return card receive new custom shorts for UFC 329
UFC analyst Din Thomas highlighted Saint Denis’ defense when backing Pimblett to beat him for this reason.
While both men have had issues with this in the past, Zahabi also believes that ‘The Baddy’ will get his hand raised for the same reason.
The veteran trainer believes that Pimblett will be able to do more damage on the feet because he can take his opponent’s shots better after watching the Brit’s loss to Justin Gaethje.
2026-07-08 03:00:00
