Paddy Pimblett suffered a brutal defeat at UFC 324 on Saturday, as Justin Gaethje beat the Liverpudlian star in a five-round war in Las Vegas. Gaethje won the chaotic contest at the T-Mobile Arena with scores of 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46, claiming the interim lightweight title and costing Pimblett a shot at his bitter rival, Ilia Topuria.
Heading into the main event, Pimblett was 7-0 in the UFC, but against Gaethje he faced his most experienced opponent yet. The match-up was largely sold as Gaethje's knockout power against Pimblett's submission threat, but Pimblett withstood a frightening amount of punishment across 25 minutes, including multiple knockdowns and two eye pokes.
In the first round, Gaethje dropped Pimblett by the fence, but the Briton survived before complaining of an eye poke. By round two, Pimblett had swelling around his right eye and was dropped again. Referee Marc Goddard had warned Gaethje that a second eye poke would cost him a point, but the official did not see the latter foul. Gaethje dropped Pimblett for a third time in the fourth round, as the Scouser continued to throw back and absorb considerable damage.
Gaethje won the interim lightweight belt for the second time in his career and is now due to fight for undisputed gold for the third time. Topuria is expected to be next for Gaethje, with the regular champion due to return in spring. Meanwhile, Pimblett's next move is unclear after his first UFC loss, but he will remain ranked in the top 10.
“I wanted to be walking away with that belt, and I know how tough I am anyway; I don’t need to prove it to anyone,” Pimblett said after the fight. “There’s no man I’d rather lose to than the ‘Highlight’, someone I grew up watching. I’m 31, you haven’t seen the last of me.”
