TLDR
- Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) at UFC 324 on January 24, 2026
- Gaethje won the interim lightweight championship and ended Pimblett’s 7-0 UFC record
- The 37-year-old Gaethje landed two knockdowns and controlled the fight with pressure and power shots
- Sean O’Malley defeated Song Yadong by unanimous decision in the co-main event
- Gaethje now positions himself as next in line to challenge champion Ilia Topuria
Sources: ESPN | MMA Fighting | ESPN
Justin Gaethje captured the interim lightweight championship at UFC 324 on Saturday night, defeating Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision after five rounds at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The judges scored the fight 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 for the 37-year-old American veteran.
Gaethje entered the fight as the underdog against the younger, undefeated-in-UFC Pimblett. The English fighter had compiled a 7-0 record since joining the promotion in 2021, most recently stopping Michael Chandler in three rounds at UFC 314 last April.
Gaethje’s Pressure Prevails
The fight started with Gaethje immediately implementing his strategy of forward pressure and heavy hands. He hurt Pimblett with a hard body shot and powerful uppercut in the first round, scoring the first of two knockdowns in the fight.
Gaethje continued to press the action in the second round, landing a shot to the head that opened a cut over Pimblett’s right eye. The American landed 200 total strikes compared to Pimblett’s 170, with Gaethje also outlanding his opponent in head strikes 83-15.
Pimblett rallied in the third round with faster hands against what appeared to be a tiring Gaethje. However, the veteran kept landing powerful shots to maintain control of the fight through the championship rounds.
“I had to put him on his back foot, steal his momentum and his confidence,” Gaethje said after the fight. “The strategy was to push him back, put my head in his chest.”
Gaethje landed three takedowns in the fight while maintaining over five minutes of control time. The victory improves his record to 27-5 and marks his second interim lightweight title, having previously won the belt against Tony Ferguson in 2020.
Pimblett suffered his first UFC loss and first defeat since 2018 in any promotion. His record now stands at 23-4 overall.
“I wanted to be walking away with that belt,” Pimblett said. “I know how tough I am. But there’s no other man I’d rather lose to. It shows what a legend he is.”
O’Malley Earns Decision in Co-Main Event
Former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley defeated Song Yadong by unanimous decision in the co-main event. All three judges scored the fight 29-28 for O’Malley, who improved to 19-3.
O’Malley struggled through the first two rounds but delivered a decisive third round. He landed hard jabs, crosses, and a vicious knee that left blood pouring from Yadong’s nose and mouth.
“Championship mindset, baby,” O’Malley said. “This feels so good. God, it feels good to win. I hate losing.”
After the fight, O’Malley called for a rematch with current champion Petr Yan, whom he defeated by decision at UFC 280 in 2022. “Yan has something that I want,” O’Malley said.
Other main card results included Waldo Cortes-Acosta stopping Derrick Lewis in the second round by TKO. Natalia Silva defeated Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision in the women’s flyweight division, and Jean Silva beat Arnold Allen by unanimous decision at featherweight.
Gaethje’s victory positions him as the next challenger for lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s title. Topuria has taken a leave from fighting to deal with personal issues, making the timeline for a potential unification bout unclear.
