Paddy Pimblett has publicly revelled in the defeat of his UFC rival Dan Hooker, just seven days after suffering his own brutal loss in the octagon. The Liverpudlian fighter's comments came after Hooker was stopped by French contender Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 325 in Sydney, Australia, marking another setback for the New Zealand athlete.
Vicious Rivalry Fuels Pimblett's Reaction
The result followed Pimblett's decision loss to Justin Gaethje the previous week, where "Paddy The Baddy" failed to capture the interim lightweight championship. This sequence of events occurred against the backdrop of a particularly vulgar and personal exchange between Pimblett and Hooker, during which both fighters made distasteful comments about each other's families and friends.
"Nice to see Dan get TKOed after the s*** he was chatting," Pimblett declared on his YouTube channel. "He probably enjoyed me losing last week. That was probably a generational hate watch for him. I never got finished, though [...] Hooker, unlucky, mate."
Saint-Denis Emerges as New Force
The victory for Benoit Saint-Denis represented his fourth consecutive win via stoppage, with all triumphs dating back to May 2025. The French fighter's dominant performance against Hooker, achieved through brutal ground and pound just two months after Hooker suffered a similar defeat against Arman Tsarukyan, has significantly altered the lightweight landscape.
"I really like Benoit Saint-Denis," Pimblett added, showing respect for his potential future opponent. "I think he's a proper nice fella, and I like his fighting style. He comes to bang, [I] proper like Saint-Denis. I hope he does well, but obviously if he's next for me, he's getting finished."
Ranking Shakeup and Future Implications
The UFC's official rankings are expected to undergo significant changes when updated on Tuesday, with eighth-ranked Saint-Denis likely to leapfrog both fifth-ranked Pimblett and sixth-ranked Hooker. This positions "BSD" firmly in contention for a future title shot, while leaving Pimblett and Hooker's immediate futures less certain.
Despite the competitive implications, a potential showdown between Pimblett and Hooker could prove commercially lucrative for the UFC, given their heated history and fan engagement. Pimblett's loss to Gaethje marked his first defeat within the UFC organisation, while Hooker's latest setback saw his UFC record decline to 14 wins and 10 losses.
Contrasting Responses to Defeat
Hooker appeared to adopt a philosophical approach to his latest defeat, sharing on Instagram: "Life is for living," accompanied by a photograph with a friend and a video featuring a Rolex watch. This contrasted sharply with Pimblett's more combative public reaction, highlighting the different ways elite fighters process high-profile losses.
The events in Sydney created a deflating atmosphere for the Australian crowd, who witnessed Hooker's second consecutive stoppage defeat via ground and pound. Meanwhile, Pimblett continues to navigate the aftermath of his first UFC loss while clearly enjoying the misfortune of his divisional rival, setting the stage for potential future confrontations in the increasingly competitive lightweight division.
