Paddy Pimblett surprised his team and himself with the way he choked out Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329.

"The Baddy" picked up arguably the most impressive win of his career Saturday with a stunning D'Arce choke that left the top-10 lightweight sleeping just 52 seconds into the opening round. Saint Denis looked to overwhelm Pimblett with his wrestling but fell prey to the Scouser's dangerous submission game.

"I've never done that before," Pimblett said. "I just did that on the fly, that's how I roll. My jiu-jitsu's the best in the world."

The Finish

Pimblett explained how he executed a finish he had worked on especially for Saint Denis.

"My corner was right in front of me," Pimblett said. "Paul literally said, 'Don't burn your arms out,' but I knew I had it cinched up. I knew he was good at defending a guillotine, so we worked on other things around the guillotine and that was just there, picture-perfect."

Prior to running into Pimblett, Saint Denis had never lost by submission before. This was the first time Pimblett had actually attempted the fight-ending choke, which utilized all of his limbs.

White on Pimblett's Rise

UFC CEO Dana White was wowed by Pimblett's growing popularity, which boomed even after his loss to Justin Gaethje in January.

"He gained so much respect in that last fight," White said. "My social team was telling me after that last loss he gained two million followers on social media from that night to the next morning. The way he came in tonight, it felt like he was the world champion."

What's Next?

Pimblett is certain the UFC lightweight title is in his future.

"I want to be a world champion," Pimblett said. "I want to be the first-ever world champion from Liverpool, and I'm going to do that. Whether it's the next fight or the next 10 fights, I'm going to be a world champion. It's that simple. If you want me to fight Justin next, Arman next, Ilia next, Charles next, anyone can get it."