Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett capped off UFC 324, battling for an interim title fight with champ Ilia Topuria going through a reportedly ugly divorce.
The card had kicked off the Paramount+ era, bringing with it a doubling of the post-fight bonuses, and a newly introduced $25,000 finish bonus for any fighter with a stoppage.
For Gaethje, a former interim title holder, the fight was the opportunity to earn one last shot at undisputed gold. Pimblett, meanwhile, was looking at his first title opportunity in the UFC.
Off a touch of the gloves, Gaethje held center, while Pimblett opened the action with a low kick. Pimblett let his right hand go, while Gaethje walked forward, eating another leg kick. Gaethje got inside, landing a solid right hand, going to the body after that. Paddy then got his hands going, and mixed in a kick that Justin ate as he ducked in. Gaethje followed up, landing heavy leather! Paddy went down, and Gaethje was all over him! Pimblett covered up best he could, with Gaethje locking up a front headlock with one arm.
Pimblett however would survive, getting back up as Gaethje backed off. A short jab for Gaethje saw Pimblett sit down, more of a slip. Gaethje was showing Pimblett no respect. When Paddy did land, Gaethje just walked through it. With just under two minutes left in the opening round, Gaethje clinched up from the back, but he didn’t really pursue a takedown. Pimblett fired a leg kick, then an uppercut. Gaethje fanned on a right, and Pimblett signaled that he’d been poked. The poke appeared to connect just prior to the right hand; after a pause, Pimblett was good to go, while ref Marc Goddard warned Gaethje over the infraction, saying he’d take a point if it happened again.
Gaethje kept the pressure on when the action resumed, finishing the round strong.
Round two saw Pimblett continue with his low kicks, something that used to be a staple of Justin Gaethje’s game. Then it was Gaethje wrenching Pimblett down with a headlock. Gaethje let Pimblett back up, and landed a clean jab, then went to the body. Paddy slipped off a kick, but popped back up, and landed an uppercut. Gaethje, meanwhile, was still showing Pimblett minimal respect, even when Paddy fanned on a massive uppercut. In a clinch, Pimblett landed a few knees to the body. And still Gaethje walked forward, using the headlock to force Pimblett to his knees again.
Gaethje was being extremely careful, even when he did get Paddy to his knees, not to let Pimblett use his BJJ. And back up, a knee sent Pimblett to his back. The Brit was right back up, but was dropped by a Gaethje right hand! Gaethje got on top, looking to land ground n’ pound. Things were looking dire for Pimblett, but the clock worked in his favor. Gaethje backed off, landing a flying punch as he dove back on top of Pimblett, and finished the round landing bombs. Pimblett walked back to his corner bloodied.
In the third, Justin continued to walk Pimblett down. A rare leg kick landed for Gaethje. “The Highlight” seemed to have taken his foot off the gas just a little. Pimblett ripped a low kick. Gaethje took a couple of big swings, but missed. Pimblett landed a jab on the chin. Justin, however, cracked Pimblett with a low kick, then a right hand. In the final 90 seconds, Pimblett started coming on a bit, but after landing his best shots of the fight, Paddy landed a low blow off a jump knee. Pimblett protested, but the foul was clear.
Off the restart, Pimblett landed an outside leg kick, and Gaethje went to the body. Pimblett landed a kick to the body, while Justin ripped a low kick then trailed it with a right.
Between rounds, Gaethje’s coach Trevor Wittman warned him not to duck down following his attacks. Gaethje then hurt Paddy early in round four, and again yanked him down, this time after a desperation takedown attempt by Pimblett. Gaethje battered Pimblett with right hands before they stalled out a little. When they got back up, Gaethje was all over the younger fighter. Pimblett dropped for a moment but returned to his feet. His mettle was being tested like never before. More heavy punches from Gaethje, the right hand landing. Nasty. A left and a right, then one more of each, and Pimblett was down, and back up again. True to his word, the Scouser was proving hard to knock out. Gaethje however was easily out-landing Pimblett. A Gaethje knee grazed the cup on Pimblett in tight, with Paddy wincing and complaining, though the ref didn’t catch it.
Ninety seconds remained on the clock in round four. Gaethje walked Pimblett down yet again, and Paddy fanned on a spinning back fist. Pimblett fired a kick, no dice. Gaethje managed a little ankle pick at the end of the round, and while Pimblett scrambled up, he’d lost another round.
In all likelihood, it was 3-1 Gaethje heading into the fifth. Pimblett would need a finish. They hugged to start the final frame, then Justin went on the attack. A jab snapped Pimblett’s head back. A right hand followed. Pimblett, not out of it, landed a few on Gaethje, but he shrugged them off. Gaethje was relentless in his pressure, and Pimblett attempted a knockout blow with a huge uppercut, hitting only air. Pimblett then slid into a takedown, looking for a trip and settling for underhooks and driving Gaethje to the fence. The problem? Pimblett’s wrestling wasn’t up to snuff, no match for the folkstyle wrestler Gaethje.
When Gaethje broke free, he went after Pimblett, connecting with a right. After another clinch, Pimblett fanned on a spinning attack. Gaethje hit the mark with a right, then a left. Then, with a minute to go, it was Pimblett coming on strong. He was unloading, wild hooks, lefts and rights. Gaethje covered up, but didn’t appear hurt. He kept his composure, and fought on. Pimblett would try to get back in it, landed a few, including a low blow, but there was little question by the horn that Justin Gaethje had won a second UFC interim lightweight title.
Official Result: Justin Gaethje def. Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46)
