‘He Needs To Die And Be Born Again”
UFC 324 was supposed to be the Paddy Pimblett show. Everything was lined up for “The Baddy” to capture interim gold on the biggest stage possible. Not only did Pimblett have a significant edge in momentum and youth over Justin Gaethje, but “The Highlight” was hampered by an apparent staph infection.
Pimblett was supposed to […]
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JANUARY 24: Paddy Pimblett of England reacts to the decison in the UFC lightweight interim championship bout during the UFC 324 event at T-Mobile Arena on January 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) UFC 324 was supposed to be the Paddy Pimblett show. Everything was lined up for “The Baddy” to capture interim gold on the biggest stage possible.
Not only did Pimblett have a significant edge in momentum and youth over Justin Gaethje, but “The Highlight” was hampered by an apparent staph infection . Pimblett was supposed to dispose of another older fighter in the UFC’s Paramount debut, setting the stage for an Ilia Topuria title grudge match five years in the making. Instead, Gaethje beat Pimblett from pillar to post (watch here) , walked away with interim gold, and will now take Pimblett’s would-be opportunity against Topuria at the UFC White House .
It was a bit of a bummer for Topuria , who was looking forward to a high-profile grudge match as his first title defense. Three months later, Topuria is less bothered by losing the chance to face Pimblett, but he still can’t believe how badly the Englishman performed and questioned whether he can ever become a true contender. “I was a little surprised at how bad Paddy really is.