Here’s the UFC 324 live blog for Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett, Saturday’s interim lightweight championship main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Gaethje and Pimblett, ranked No. 5 and No. 11 respectively (tied) at 155 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, are fighting for the interim title against undisputed champion Ilia Topuria, who is currently on hiatus due to personal reasons.
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If Gaethje (26-5) wins on Saturday night, he will carve out a unique spot for himself in the UFC history books as the only fighter to become interim champion twice. This is just the first step in a much larger goal for Gaethje, who hopes to end his illustrious career with an undisputed title shot, possibly appearing at the upcoming UFC White House event.
Pimblitt (23-3), who is 7-0 in the UFC, hopes to silence the doubters by having a gold medal around his waist, temporarily or otherwise. Recent wins over Michael Chandler, Kim Green and Tony Ferguson have continued to boost the Englishman’s profile while also raising questions about whether he can benefit from facing opponents from past their primes. Beating the always-dangerous Gaethje would go a long way to boosting Pimblitt’s credibility.
Check out the UFC 324 live blog of Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett below.
Preface
Yes, this is going to happen: either Gaethje becomes interim champion twice, or Pimblitt shocks the world and claims some form of UFC title. Are you ready? ? ?
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strike
People are crazy about Pimblett. He soaked up every minute of it. Love him or hate him, this man connects with the audience. “Superstar” doesn’t overstate it.
For Gaethje, the mood is a bit somber. Will this be the last time we see “The Highlight” make his way to the Octagon?
always tell me the odds
This is a losing battle for Pimblett, as FanDuel lists him as a -245 favorite. Gaethje is a 2-1 underdog and this could be his last chance to compete for the UFC title.
first round
Marc Goddard is the third man in the cage in your main event.
Pimblett was in an open stance, trying to attack Gaethje’s legs from distance. Pimblett lands a right hand over the top that makes Gaethje flinch. Pimblitt lands a leg kick, then a left hand. Gaither answered with a right. Another one joins from the top of the Pimblett to the right. The high kick hit Gaethje in the face and he ate it. Gaither with an uppercut. Gaither swarms in and hurts Pimblett with an uppercut!
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Pimblett knelt on the ground and Gaethje chose to shoot. Gaethje stepped back and allowed Pimblett to stand. Pimblett was hitting some good shots early, but once Gaethje got in his face, the game changed. He was successful again, though, with Gaethje only getting a few punches and another high kick. Gaethje didn’t seem to care.
Gaethje’s right hand misses, but he transitions into a body lock. In separate bouts, Pimblitt knocked him down with a wild swing and Gaethje with a quick combo. Pimblitt lands a nice uppercut. The sharp kick pushed Gaethje back. Gaethje extended his right hand as he chased Pimblett, but the action paused as Pimblett complained that he had been poked in the eye. Goddard saw this, and replays confirmed Gaethje’s fingers were there, just an open hand on his face.
Fortunately, the operation went ahead after Goddard issued a stern warning to Gaethje. Pimblett lands a few more kicks, but he eats Gaethje’s right foot again. Pimblett just stood in the pocket and traded with him. No fear on either side, wow. Gaethje to the body. Five action-packed minutes.
Gaethje, the mixed martial arts score was 10-9 in this round.
second round
Pimblett jabs here, trying to control range. He’s still mixing in kicks. Gaethje finished off a takedown and was working on locking down the front until they recovered. Gaither stabbed him with his claws, and the blow hurt. Pimblett kicked him and he stumbled. Awkward moment. Gaither’s left hand was stiff during the fight. This is a dirty, dirty fight. Just the way Gaethje likes it.
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Uppercut from Pimblett. Gaethje may not like this. He used his fists to pressure Pimblett. Pimblett and Gaethje’s leg kick just went through it and another jab followed. Pimblitt with a knee to the body. When they separate, Gaethje jabs. Gaethje is throwing wide wing punches. Gaethje lands a right hand and then jabs. Gaethje lands another uppercut and then takes Pimblitt down with a front headlock. It’s not even the third round yet, and it feels like they’re already in deep water.
As they began to rise, Gaethje kneeled down, seemingly knocking Pimblett over, if not down. Gaethje still came forward and knocked Pimblett to the fence with a right hand. Gaethje on top with punches and elbows. Pimblitt was still on the court, but he had to hang on with 30 seconds left. Gaethje stood up as Pimblett delivered an upper kick, then Gaethje fell to the ground with his elbow right in Pimblett’s face. Bang.
Gaethje, the mixed martial arts score was 10-9 in this round. Overall, 20-18 Gaethje.
third round
Gaethje came out swinging his fists and Pimblett had to retreat. Gaethje is in full finisher mode. Pimblett drops the jab. He hit some shots, but then got caught by a counterattacker on the left. He struggles to score without getting caught. However, Pimblitt took the lead in the first two minutes of the round.
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Gaethje is here. He seems content to absorb damage because he knows all he needs is a big moment to finish the round, like he has in his past two games. Pimblett with a nice high kick. Gaethje’s right hand rests on the money. Pimblitt counters well. He pressed the left button on the button. Pimblett punches away, but Gaethje is right there with some hard counter punches. Pimblett lands an uppercut. Pimblett and Gaethje knee-jerk complained about hitting the ball too low, so we took a break from the action.
Replays showed the knee went straight into the cup. Yoza!
Right hand from Pimblett. He also landed some high kicks, leading to a strong round for “The Bad Guy.” Gaethje now starts mixing in kicks, then a crisp right kick.
Pimblitt, MMA Fighting scored 10-9 in this round. Overall, 29-28 Gaethje.
fourth round
Gaither was stabbed in the body. This may be a different wrinkle. Paddy responded with a body fist of his own. Pimblett looped to right from Gaethje and answered with his left hand. Two more right wings caught Pimblitt, who reached in to absorb another left wing. Gaethje controls the front headlock again.
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They separated and then clashed again with Gaethje, who pushed Pimblett to the ground. Gaethje jabs, Pimblett low kicks. Landing hard for Gaethje. He’s right in Pimblett’s face, with a big left hand. Pimblett’s iron jaw is being tested. Gaither continued the pursuit, swinging his right hand like a hammer.
As they grappled against the fence, Pimblitt complained about knees going below the belt. Return to the center of the octagon. They exchange vaccines. Pimblett landed a left hook and then a high kick that hit Gaethje in the chest. Body kick from Pimblitt. Pimblitt’s off-balance spin shot was nowhere close. Pimblett back to jab. Pimblett threw a backfist. They throw everything at each other. Pimblitt lands a leg kick and then lands a nice combo. It looks like Pimblett slipped again and doesn’t know what happened.
Gaethje, the mixed martial arts score was 10-9 in this round. Overall, 39-37 Gaethje.
fifth round
Pimblett needs a finish and he’s fighting like this, just trading with Gaethje to start the round. Gaither slowed him down with a right jab. Pimblett tried to push Gaethje away, but another right hand landed on his chin. The combination of Pimblett and Gaethje will deliver a Thai bite. Pimblett explodes and resumes his jab. Pimblitt’s body lock and trip attempt looked good, but Gaethje’s takedown defense was excellent. He is still standing.
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As time passed, they wrestled along the fence. This is not a good thing for Pimblett. At halftime, Gaethje went left, then right, then back to the cage. There were two minutes left before Pimblett worked his magic.
Right hand from Gaither. And the other right hand. Pimblett gave, but not as well as he got. But don’t tell him this! He is now defending against Gaethje. These guys are steel. Gaethje pinned Pimblett against the fence, but Pimblett didn’t accept the position with 30 seconds left. With 10 seconds left, Pimblitt pitched and he landed a high knee, both men sliding. A crazy ending to a crazy fight.
Pimblitt, MMA Fighting scored 10-9 in this round. Overall, 48-47 Gaethje.
