TLDR
- Paddy Pimblett will fight Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on January 24 in Las Vegas
- The interim title was created because champion Ilia Topuria is taking a hiatus for personal reasons
- Pimblett plans to unify the belt against Topuria in 2026 and then defend against Arman Tsarukyan
- The title shot has received criticism from fans who believe Tsarukyan deserves the opportunity
- Pimblett is 7-0 in the UFC with wins over Michael Chandler, Bobby Green, and Tony Ferguson
Paddy Pimblett will fight for his first UFC championship on January 24, 2025. UFC president Dana White announced Thursday that Pimblett will face Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 in Las Vegas.
The interim title fight was created after lightweight champion Ilia Topuria announced he would take a hiatus from fighting. Topuria cited personal reasons for stepping away from competition.
Pimblett enters the bout with a perfect 7-0 record in the UFC. His most recent victory came against Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in May 2024.
The Liverpool fighter has also beaten Bobby Green and Tony Ferguson during his UFC run. That win over Chandler initially placed him at number eight in the rankings.
Pimblett has since moved up to the top five without fighting again. This jump in rankings has added to criticism of his title opportunity.
Gaethje brings a 26-5 record to the fight. In his last four bouts, he has beaten Rafael Fiziev twice and Dustin Poirier once.
His only loss in that stretch came against Max Holloway. Gaethje reportedly threatened retirement if he was denied a title shot.
Pimblett’s Championship Plans
Pimblett has outlined his goals for the next year. He plans to defeat Gaethje and then unify the title against Topuria when the champion returns.
“2026 is gonna be the biggest year of my life,” Pimblett told UFC Europe. “I am coming for that interim title, then I’ll be making it the undisputed title when I come and beat Ilia Topuria up.”
The British fighter also called out Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan is widely considered the most deserving lightweight title contender.
“If little posh boy fights in that time and keeps his ranking, I’ll punch his head in as well,” Pimblett said. Pimblett and Tsarukyan have had a longtime feud.
Fan Criticism and Tsarukyan Snub
The UFC’s decision to book Pimblett versus Gaethje has faced backlash from fans. Many believe Tsarukyan should have received the title shot instead.
Tsarukyan picked up another win last week at UFC Qatar. He is ranked number one in the lightweight division.
Despite fighting recently, Tsarukyan did not suffer damage in his last bout. He would have been available for a quick turnaround to fight at UFC 324.
The promotion appears to still be punishing Tsarukyan for pulling out of a title fight against Islam Makhachev earlier this year. Tsarukyan reacted to the announcement by saying “Make it make sense” on social media.
While winning a UFC title is important to Pimblett, he has previously stated a different ultimate goal. In 2022, he told ESPN MMA he would choose headlining a UFC event at Anfield Stadium over winning a championship.
Anfield is the home stadium of Liverpool Football Club. “That’s for my people,” Pimblett said about fighting at Anfield.
UFC 324 will be the first event under the promotion’s new broadcast deal with Paramount. The card will also feature Kayla Harrison versus Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight title.
