Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett left it all in the octagon in the UFC 324 main event.
According to MMA Fighting, after five rounds of brutal back-and-forth action, it was Gaethje who had his hand raised and an interim lightweight championship belt strapped around his waist, making him the first two-time interim titleholder in UFC history.
It was well-earned as Gaethje out-brawled Pimblett en route to a unanimous decision win via scores of 49-46, 48-47, and 48-47.
The majority of fighters reacting live to the action on social media were overwhelmingly positive, though retired UFC star Dustin Poirier appeared to give Pimblett a backhanded compliment of sorts.
Poirier wrote on X, “Welcome to the big leagues, Patrick! One up for the legends.”
Former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett called it “one of the worst UFC main events in a while.”
“Two capable and dynamic finishers, fighting like like a couple of newbies. Such a terrible display, stretched over five awful rounds. This was match for the prelims,” Barnett added.
Arman Tsarukyan said, “That’s what happens when you’re gifted opportunities and pushed up the rankings artificially, a completely undeserved title shot for Paddy. Congratulations to Justin. He showed real heart, and unlike others, he’ll step up and take the fight with me. Respect.”
Michael Chiesa wrote, “First main event of 2026 absolutely delivered. We got vintage Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett showed tremendous heart. What a great way to kick things off on Paramount+ #UFC324.”
As the interim champion, Gaethje is next in line to challenge Ilia Topuria for the undisputed title later this year.
