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Paddy the Baddy's Big Boost, McGregor's ACL, and DWCS Returns

Paddy Pimblett rockets up the rankings, Conor McGregor faces a tough recovery, and DWCS is back for its tenth season.

Paddy the Baddy's Big Boost, McGregor's ACL, and DWCS Returns

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What a week it’s been in the MMA world! We’re diving into the latest on Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett’s huge jump in the rankings, the unfortunate news surrounding Conor McGregor’s injury, and the highly anticipated return of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Paddy The Baddy’s Big Boost

Paddy Pimblett is making waves after his impressive performance at UFC 329, where he secured a submission victory over Benoit Saint Denis. This win has propelled him to a career-high No. 5 in the UFC lightweight rankings, placing him just one spot below Max Holloway. Pimblett’s goal is clear: he wants to become a UFC world champion, and this recent surge in the rankings shows he’s on the right track. After the fight, he was even seen celebrating with a vape and a slice of pizza, a true ‘Baddy’ move.

Pimblett’s Inventive Submission

That submission win over Benoit Saint Denis was something special, with Paddy Pimblett claiming he invented the move “on the fly” during the fight. He’s calling it the ‘Paddywhack’, a variation of a rear-naked choke that he adapted mid-scramble. Interestingly, Pimblett also weighed in on a controversial KO from UFC 329 involving a teammate, disagreeing with Joe Rogan’s assessment that it was an early stoppage. It’s clear Pimblett is confident in his skills and his fight IQ.

McGregor’s ACL Injury

In less positive news, Conor McGregor is facing a significant setback after suffering an ACL injury at UFC 329. Reports suggest this recovery could be even more challenging than the leg break he sustained five years ago. Despite some conspiracy theories circulating about the injury, Michael Chandler, McGregor’s scheduled opponent, has shut them down, stating that McGregor is “not a quitter.” Even Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach shared a surprising take on the injury, adding to the discussion around this unfortunate turn of events for the superstar.

DWCS Returns for Season 10

Get ready for some fresh talent because Dana White’s Contender Series is making its highly anticipated return for its tenth season in August. This historic season will debut on Paramount+, continuing its tradition of showcasing up-and-coming fighters hoping to earn a UFC contract. It’s always exciting to see who will emerge from the Contender Series and make their mark in the UFC, and this season promises to be no different.

Grappling News and Crossovers

Beyond the Octagon, there’s some interesting grappling news. Junior dos Santos has unfortunately pulled out of his grappling match with Fabricio Werdum, which is a shame for fans looking forward to that matchup. On a more exciting note, Bryce Mitchell is making a move into UFC BJJ and has challenged champion Mikey Musumeci to a crossover extravaganza. This could be a fantastic opportunity to see how a top UFC grappler fares against one of the best in the sport, and it’s definitely something to keep an eye on.

From the community

Over on r/MMA, fans are talking about this: New UFC META Ranking Comparison.

Sources

Every source behind today's roundup (14)

We summarize the day’s news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work:

Open Scoring MMA is a daily AI-produced MMA and UFC news podcast. Listen to today’s episode, read the full Feed, or get every episode by email.

Episode transcript

Read the full episode transcript

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA. This is episode 25 for July 14, 2026, your daily look at what’s happening now and next across the world of MMA and UFC.

The MMA world is still buzzing from UFC 329, and at the center of a lot of that conversation is our man, Paddy Pimblett. After a standout performance at International Fight Week, Paddy the Baddy is on a serious rise. We’re hearing he’s landed one spot below Max Holloway in a big rankings boost, and get this, he’s reportedly climbed to a career-high number five in the latest UFC lightweight rankings. That’s a massive jump, and it really shows the impact of his win. He locked horns with Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329, and after putting him to sleep, he was seen grabbing a vape and a slice of pizza. That’s just peak Paddy, isn’t it? He’s riding high in the wake of that triumph, and his main target is clear: become a UFC world champion. He even said, quote, “Listen, if I don’t win this fight, what’s the point in fighting anymore?” end quote. That’s the kind of drive you love to see from a fighter who’s clearly got his eyes on the gold. And it’s not just the rankings; he’s making waves with his technique too. MMA fans were asking two big questions after UFC 329, one of them being about Conor McGregor, but the other was about Paddy’s submission. He actually named the submission he invented, quote, “on the fly,” end quote at UFC 329. That’s just incredible, to be so creative in the heat of the moment. He also defended his teammate, disputing Joe Rogan’s claim that his teammate’s UFC 329 knockout win was an early stoppage. Paddy’s always got his teammates’ backs, and that loyalty is another reason why fans gravitate towards him. The man is on a roll, and it’s exciting to see where he goes from here.

Now, let’s talk about the other big question coming out of UFC 329, and that’s Conor McGregor. The Notorious one left fans sorely disappointed when his main event rematch with Max Holloway reportedly ended due to a leg injury. And it’s looking pretty serious. Conor McGregor injuring his ACL could be a disaster for the former two-division champion. While McGregor has said he’ll undergo surgery, the exact nature of what happened is still being dissected. This suggests that the recovery for an ACL could be even harder than the leg break he suffered five years ago. It’s a tough blow for McGregor and his fans, especially after such a highly anticipated comeback fight.

And of course, with any high-profile injury, there are always conspiracy theories. But Michael Chandler, who’s had his eye on McGregor for years, is shutting those down. He doesn’t think there’s anything nefarious about what went down. Word is, Chandler defended McGregor, saying he’s not a quitter. It’s good to see that kind of respect from a potential future opponent. Even Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach shared a surprising take on McGregor’s injury, which is interesting given the history between those two camps. McGregor, for his part, has been vocal about Khabib in the past, telling, quote, “The guy’s done nothing in the sport. … Where is he now? He’s gone. I don’t rate him at all. The man has no courage; never fought above weight divisions, no stoppages, no knockouts.” end quote. So there’s definitely no love lost there, but it’s still notable that Khabib’s coach weighed in on the injury.

Moving on to some other news, we’ve got Junior dos Santos out of his grappling match with Fabricio Werdum. The former UFC heavyweight champions were reportedly scheduled to meet at Kings Championship in Florianopolis, Brazil, but “Cigano” announced on Monday that he’s out. The promotion hasn’t announced if Werdum will get a different opponent or if he’s also off the card. It’s a shame, that would have been a fun grappling match between two legends.

And speaking of cross-over events, Bryce Mitchell is making a move. The UFC Featherweight-turned Bantamweight contender is putting down the gloves for the time being and stepping into the UFC BJJ bowl. “Thug Nasty” will reportedly collide with UFC BJJ Bantamweight champion Mikey Musumeci at a UFC BJJ event. That’s a pretty wild cross-over, and it’ll be interesting to see how Mitchell, known for his wrestling and grappling in MMA, fares against a pure BJJ specialist like Musumeci. It’s a smart move for Mitchell to stay active and challenge himself in a different discipline.

Now, let’s look ahead a little bit. Dana White’s Contender Series is set to return for season 10, and it’s making a big move. The show is heading to Paramount+ as part of the UFC’s overall broadcast deal with the network. The first episode for The Contender Series debuts on August 11th, starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, with five total fights on the card. This is a huge platform for aspiring fighters, and it’s always exciting to see who Dana White picks to bring into the UFC. It’s a historic tenth season, and moving to Paramount+ will definitely give it a wider reach.

DUKE: So, Nora, the Contender Series moving to Paramount+. What do you make of that? Good for the sport, or just another streaming service we gotta subscribe to?

NORA: From a pure distribution standpoint, Duke, it’s a strategic move. Paramount+ has a broad subscriber base, and it aligns with the UFC’s broader media rights strategy. More eyeballs on the Contender Series means a larger talent pool potentially getting discovered.

DUKE: Yeah, but is it gonna feel the same? Part of the charm was always that raw, almost underground feel. Now it’s on a major streaming platform. Does that change the vibe?

NORA: The core product, the fights themselves, shouldn’t change. The production quality might even see an uplift. While the ‘vibe’ is subjective, the objective is to find new talent, and this move facilitates that on a larger scale.

DUKE: I guess. I’m just thinking about the casual fan. Are they gonna seek it out on Paramount+? Or is it gonna get lost in the shuffle with all the other content?

NORA: The UFC brand is strong enough to draw its audience, regardless of the platform. And for the dedicated fan, they’ll follow it. The model suggests this is a net positive for exposure.

DUKE: Alright, alright, you and your model. I’ll give you that. More exposure for these hungry fighters is never a bad thing. I’m just a traditionalist sometimes, you know?

NORA: I understand the sentiment, Duke. But evolution is constant in this sport. This is simply the next step.

Alright, let’s get to our OSM Pick of the day. Our system has been crunching the numbers, and for the fight between Alberto Montes and Tommy McMillen, we’ve got Tommy McMillen to win. Our model gives him approximately a 59 percent chance of victory, which is higher than the betting line, which implies about a 52 percent chance. So, we see some value there. The top reasons our system likes McMillen are that the physical attributes favor him, and his style also favors him in this matchup. This is a value pick for us, and we like it more than the line does.

That’s all for today’s Open Scoring MMA. We’ll be back tomorrow with more news and analysis.

Before you go, two quick things. Check out our free Fight Tracker at tracker dot open scoring m m a dot com, with every upcoming UFC and PFL card, live odds, and where to watch, all in one place. And follow us on YouTube, just search Open Scoring MMA, for breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you won’t get here on the feed. That’s it for today’s Open Scoring MMA. Keep your hands up, and we’ll see you next time.