TLDR
- Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje compete for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on Saturday in Las Vegas
- Gaethje has indicated he may retire if he loses or suffers another knockout defeat
- Pimblett says he hopes Gaethje doesn’t retire because he loves watching him fight
- Gaethje is seeking to become a two-time interim UFC champion at age 37
- Pimblett aims to become the eighth fighter in UFC lightweight history to win eight straight fights
Paddy Pimblett says he doesn’t want Justin Gaethje to retire from mixed martial arts, even if he defeats him at UFC 324 on Saturday night. The two fighters will compete for the interim lightweight championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Gaethje and his team have suggested this could be his final fight if he loses or suffers another knockout defeat. The 37-year-old veteran has never gone the distance in a title fight and has lost both of his attempts at winning an undisputed UFC championship.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I’m going to be the one to retire you,” Pimblett told TMZ. “If someone would have said that five years ago, that Paddy Pimblett’s going to retire Justin Gaethje, they would have scoffed at you. But that’s what’s going to happen.”
Despite his confidence, Pimblett expressed genuine respect for Gaethje’s career. “I hope he doesn’t retire. I love watching Justin Gaethje fight,” Pimblett said. “Justin Gaethje’s one of my favorite fighters to watch.”
Paddy Pimblett's mixed emotions on ending Gaethje's career at UFC 324 https://t.co/FhmBDm24vQ
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) January 21, 2026
Gaethje Seeks Second Interim Title
Gaethje will attempt to become a two-time interim UFC champion when he faces Pimblett. He previously won an interim belt in 2020 when he defeated Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, but lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov later that year when trying to unify the titles.
The Arizona native has won three of his past four fights, with two of those victories being three-round decisions over Rafael Fiziev. He holds the second-highest strike accuracy in UFC lightweight history at 58.8 percent.
All of Gaethje’s MMA losses have come against fighters who have won a UFC title. He is 0-2 in undisputed UFC title fights, losing to Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.
Pimblett Eyes Historic Win Streak
Pimblett will look to become just the eighth fighter in UFC lightweight history to win at least eight fights in a row. The 31-year-old from Liverpool, England is currently 7-0 in the UFC.
Pimblett has defeated Michael Chandler, Bobby Green, and Tony Ferguson in his past three fights. He has won performance bonuses in five of his seven UFC victories.
If he wins on Saturday, Pimblett would become the fourth English champion in UFC history. He would also be the first English fighter to win a UFC lightweight title.
The interim title is on the line because current champion Ilia Topuria announced he is taking a temporary break for personal matters. The UFC plans for the winner of Saturday’s fight to face Topuria in a title unification bout later this year.
UFC 324 takes place Saturday, January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card begins at 9 p.m. ET, one hour earlier than typical UFC pay-per-view events. Marc Goddard will serve as the referee for the main event.
Pimblett suggested he’d like to see Gaethje continue fighting after their bout. “I’d still love to see him punch Dan Hooker’s head in. I think that would be hilarious. Hopefully that fight ends up happening and he doesn’t retire,” Pimblett said.
