Justin Gaethje emerged victorious in a five-round war against Paddy Pimblett to claim the interim lightweight championship at UFC 324. The American's win marked an end to Pimblett's nine-fight winning streak, but Gaethje was quick to praise the Liverpool fighter's toughness and heart.
Gaethje's victory came after a back-and-forth battle that saw both fighters take turns landing heavy blows. Despite being bloodied and bruised, Pimblett continued to push forward, showcasing his resilience in defeat. "I know how tough I am," Pimblett said post-fight. "I don't need to prove it to anyone." Gaethje acknowledged Pimblett's toughness, saying he was a "dangerous kid" who gave him a run for his money.
The turning point of the fight came when Gaethje connected with a heavy left-handed punch in the opening round, which sent Pimblett crashing to the canvas. The American followed up with a flurry of ground strikes that forced Pimblett to scramble back to his feet.
As the rounds wore on, Gaethje began to assert his dominance, landing several heavy right hands that had Pimblett wobbling. Despite being down by a round, Pimblett refused to give up, but ultimately fell short in the end.
Gaethje's win sets him up for an undisputed title fight against Ilia Topuria, who stepped away from the bout earlier this year due to personal issues. The victory marked Gaethje's second interim lightweight championship of his career and cemented his status as one of the top lightweights in the UFC.
In the co-main event, Sean O'Malley earned a controversial unanimous decision victory over Song Yadong, while Waldo Cortes-Acosta knocked out Derrick Lewis in the second round. The women's division saw Natalia Silva defeat Rose Namajunas via unanimous decision, with Silva now poised to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title later this year.
The event also marked the announcement of Dominick Cruz as the first member of the UFC's 2026 Hall of Fame class.
Gaethje's victory came after a back-and-forth battle that saw both fighters take turns landing heavy blows. Despite being bloodied and bruised, Pimblett continued to push forward, showcasing his resilience in defeat. "I know how tough I am," Pimblett said post-fight. "I don't need to prove it to anyone." Gaethje acknowledged Pimblett's toughness, saying he was a "dangerous kid" who gave him a run for his money.
The turning point of the fight came when Gaethje connected with a heavy left-handed punch in the opening round, which sent Pimblett crashing to the canvas. The American followed up with a flurry of ground strikes that forced Pimblett to scramble back to his feet.
As the rounds wore on, Gaethje began to assert his dominance, landing several heavy right hands that had Pimblett wobbling. Despite being down by a round, Pimblett refused to give up, but ultimately fell short in the end.
Gaethje's win sets him up for an undisputed title fight against Ilia Topuria, who stepped away from the bout earlier this year due to personal issues. The victory marked Gaethje's second interim lightweight championship of his career and cemented his status as one of the top lightweights in the UFC.
In the co-main event, Sean O'Malley earned a controversial unanimous decision victory over Song Yadong, while Waldo Cortes-Acosta knocked out Derrick Lewis in the second round. The women's division saw Natalia Silva defeat Rose Namajunas via unanimous decision, with Silva now poised to challenge Valentina Shevchenko for the flyweight title later this year.
The event also marked the announcement of Dominick Cruz as the first member of the UFC's 2026 Hall of Fame class.
I'm gonna have to look up some videos of him training or something. And omg, has anyone seen those cute puppy videos on TikTok lately? I need a break from MMA for now 
! Pimblett's toughness and heart are seriously admirable 
, but man, Gaethje's skills just took it to another level 
! The way he connected with that opening left hook was pure magic 
. And can we talk about how Gaethje stayed calm under pressure? The dude was gettin' pummeled and still managed to keep comin' forward 
!
. And that back-and-forth battle was insane 
! I mean, who needs a boring fight when you can have a five-round war? 
. This dude's got some serious momentum behind him, and if he takes down Topuria, watch out world! 
The lightweight division just got a whole lot more interesting 
? And Waldo Cortes-Acosta's knockout of Lewis was insane 
. This dude's a legend, and it's about time he gets the recognition he deserves 
. Can't wait to see who else joins him on that list in 2026 
he was literally covered in blood but still kept coming forward like a boss. Gaethje got robbed of not giving him a title shot on the spot lol idk what the judges were thinking with that unanimous decision 
either way tho gaethje deserved it and now he's got his sights set on Topuria
meanwhile gaethje's win is basically just cuz pimblett choked out in the first round lol what's gonna make his next fight vs topuria any different? 
That turning point punch looked almost... scripted? I mean, how do you know exactly where your opponent is gonna go at that exact moment? 
Anyway, Dominick Cruz in the Hall of Fame? That's just weird. He retired ages ago and then comes back out of nowhere. What's his angle? 
. I'm not surprised he won, though - Gaethje's been looking fierce in his last few fights 
. And btw, what's up with Pimblett saying he's tough? Like, he knows that already 
? But for real, it's awesome to see these fighters give it their all and push each other to be better 
#TeamGaethje #UFC324 
after that win! The way he gave Pimblett props for being tough and hearted is really admirable 
, that's real talk! You gotta respect the heart and grit, even if you don't get the win 
. Cortes-Acosta's knockout of Lewis was insane 
what's up with that guy's chin tho? like, shouldn't he be out cold after all those shots 