Justin Gaethje Defeats Paddy Pimblett to Claim Interim UFC Lightweight Title

On January 25 in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena, the main event of UFC 324 concluded with Justin Gaethje defeating Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision and becoming the interim UFC lightweight champion.

The spectacular bout lasted all five rounds. From the opening minutes, British fighter Pimblett worked actively with leg kicks and accurate head strikes, but Gaethje quickly adapted and seized the initiative. In the latter half of the first round, the American sent his opponent to the canvas with a precise right hand, although he was unable to finish the fight — Pimblett defended intelligently and returned to his feet.

In the second round, the fight continued at a high pace. Pimblett again tried to operate at range, but Gaethje pressured him with powerful strikes against the cage. After a successful combination, Gaethje again sent his opponent to the canvas, and by the end of the round Pimblett’s face was already bloodied. A controversial moment occurred when Gaethje accidentally grazed Pimblett’s eye with a finger — referee Mark Goddard issued only a warning.

The third round was fought more evenly. Pimblett was active in the center of the Octagon, and Gaethje showed signs of a right-hand injury. Nevertheless, he continued pressing, and one strike landed low on Pimblett, briefly stopping the action.

The fourth five minutes saw another burst of activity from Pimblett, but Gaethje again turned the tide with a series of precise strikes that visibly rocked the Brit. Despite this, Pimblett endured and even launched a decent attack near the end of the round.

In the fifth round, Pimblett made a desperate attempt to change the course of the fight. He tried to take the fight to the ground, but without success. Gaethje controlled the action until the final horn, earning the victory on points: 48-47, 49-46, 49-46.

For the 37-year-old Gaethje, this is his second interim title win in the UFC. He first captured an interim belt in 2020 by defeating Tony Ferguson, but then failed to unify the title against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Now Gaethje awaits a shot at the undisputed title against Ilia Topuria.

Pimblett suffered his first UFC loss, ending his nine-fight win streak.