«I didn’t know Paddy Pimblett had a chin like that.»
UFC president Dana White summed up what even Pimblett’s most ardent critics must have been thinking — even if they don’t admit it — after his defeat to Justin Gaethje on Saturday night at UFC 324.
It was a night when Gaethje wound back the clock with a performance that earned him the interim lightweight title for the second time, and dampened the hype around Pimblett.
Together, Gaethje and Pimblett gave fans a battle that will be remembered for a long time. While the American will likely go on to face Ilia Topuria for the undisputed title at some point this year, Pimblett’s stock rose even in defeat and the Brit will have won over some doubters.
Of course, if you talk a big game, like Pimblett did and will continue to do, you need to back it up to avoid retort.
Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan, who have both traded barbs with Pimblett in the past, ridiculed him and called him out after the Gaethje defeat but they will have spotted the grit and, as White mentioned, the chin that ‘The Baddy’ showed at UFC 324.
As a more likely potential opponent at this stage, Tsarukyan in particular will have sat up and taken notice of how Pimblett performed and, more importantly, how he refused to quit.
«That’s what happens when you’re gifted opportunities and pushed up the rankings artificially, a completely undeserved title shot for Paddy,» Tsarukyan said.
Perhaps. But that ignores what Pimblett did on Saturday and the part of himself that he left in the Octagon.
Yes, he was beaten, but he stood and fought, like he said he would, and will only grow from the experience.
«He never quit, he never stopped trying to win, he never stopped trying to hurt me,» Gaethje told TNT Sports.
«He is going to be a problem for a lot of people.»
Gaethje, holding the UFC belt, gave encouragement to Pimblett in an interview with Paramount: «I was right where he was, not too long ago.»
Questions will be asked about whether Pimblett should have attempted to take Gaethje down and go for the submission, and maybe if he is in a similar situation again he will change his tactics.
But nobody, not his rivals nor doubters, can question Pimblett’s value to the UFC and his championship credentials.
So, what next?
Pimblett looked in bad shape after the fight. He got poked in the eye on more than one occasion and mentioned a shot to the solar plexus which rocked him early on.
He will need time to recover. Don’t be surprised if he isn’t back this year — or until the end of 2026, at least.
Pimblett will also need time to heal mentally from his first defeat in the UFC. Going back to the dressing room without the belt that you manifested would be yours, and with an L on your record, is a brutal reality check.
But he will come again, as he said post-fight: «I’m 31. I’ll be back better, it’s as simple as that. You haven’t seen the last of me.»
Tsarukyan would be a blockbuster match-up, while the winner between Dan Hooker and Benoit Saint-Denis would attract fans.
Pimblett and Hooker have developed a rivalry in recent weeks having attacked each other online. Pimblett vs. the Frenchman Saint-Denis would be a huge fight in Europe.
No matter what it is, Pimblett’s stock is high and he’s a bona fide superstar. As White said when asked if Pimblett is considered one of the best in the lightweight division: «No doubt about it.»
