UFC 324: Justin Gaethje beats Paddy Pimblett on points in Las Vegas firefight
WARNING: This report contains references to suicide.
Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett suffered heartbreak against Justin Gaethje in his quest to capture the UFC interim title as he lost on points to the American in Las Vegas.
Pimblett, 31, was as brave as he was bloodied in five action-packed rounds that left both men reeling at the final bell.
Gaethje rolled back the years for a throwback performance and forced Pimblett to take his game to a new level and fight fire with fire.
Both men raised their arms at the end of the match, but the referees rightfully gave the 37-year-old Gaethje the victory on all three scorecards.
“Paddy is right; Scousers don’t get knocked out,” Gaethje said.
“My coach was definitely mad at me after the first round, but I love it so much it’s really hard to control myself sometimes.
“I knew I had to put him on the back foot, he’s very dangerous and has great timing. I had to steal his momentum and confidence.”
With the victory, Gaethje claimed the interim lightweight title for the second time and will now face away champion Ilia Topuria after returning from his personal break.
Pimblett applauded Gaethje as the scorecards were read and handled the fourth career defeat with grace.
The Briton was the favorite for the contest and showed incredible stamina and grit, but was generally unable to control Gaethje’s storm.
“I wanted to walk away with that belt. I know how strong I am and I don’t need to prove it to anyone,” Pimblett said.
“I think 48-47 is a fair score. I’m not going to lie, he hit me with a body shot in the first round and that caught me. Up until that point I thought I had won the round.
“You live and you learn; I am 31 years old, I will come back better.”
Pimblett also used his post-fight interview to shed light on mental health issues, as he has done earlier in his career.
“I’ve talked about boys killing themselves in a few of my post-fight interviews before; two lads I know have killed themselves in the last few months,” Pimblett said.
“Men, speak up, don’t suppress your emotions.”
