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Paddy Pimblett suffered a brutal and devastating defeat. ultimate fighting championship Saturday 324, as Justin Sledger beat liverpool star In a five-round battle in Las Vegas.
Gaethje won a chaotic fight at T-Mobile Arena by scores of 48-47, 49-46, 49-46 and captured the interim lightweight title in the process. Pimblett lost the chance to fight his nemesis Ilia Topuria.
In Saturday’s main event, Pimblitt has a 7-0 record in the UFC, but against Gaethje he faces his most experienced opponent yet. Gaethje’s experience was one of many factors that contributed to his victory over “Bad Paddy” in Sin City.
The game was largely sold as Gaethje’s knockout ability against Pimblett’s submission threathas many fans and experts Looking forward to ending soon.
But Pimblett once famously said: “I’m a Scouser and we’re not going to be knocked out.” He endured horrific punishment – including multiple knockdowns and two eye pokes – in 25 minutes.
The fight was intense from the start, and while the 31-year-old Pimblett landed clean shots on his 37-year-old American opponent throughout the fight, it was Gaethje’s power that caused more trouble for the Briton.
In a back-and-forth fight in the first round, Gaethje knocked Pimblett off the fence, but the latter somehow survived, only to complain late in the round of being poked in the eye.
By the middle of the second round, Pimblitt had severe swelling around his right eye, and he was knocked out again before the end of the fight. However, replays between rounds showed he was stabbed in the eye a second time before being knocked down. In the first round, referee Mark Goddard warned Gaethje that a second eye poke would cost him a point, but the referee did not see the foul.
Even after two rounds, Pimblitt’s corner team still looked panicked, begging him to knock Gaethje down. Although Pimblett failed to beat the American – or particularly wanted to – he appeared to win the round. Before the game ended, however, Gaethje complained that a tap stopped the game.
Gaethje knocked down Pimblett for a third time in the fourth round, and the Liverpudlian continued to fight back and absorb considerable damage. The fifth round was a sloppier affair from both fighters, but also filled with tremendous passion, and a frantic finish gave way to the final whistle.
The sound heralded victory for Gaethje, who won the interim lightweight belt for the second time in his career. Gaethje previously held the title in 2020 and will now compete for the undisputed gold medal for a third time after losing the past two times.
Topuria should be Gaethje’s next target, with the regular champion set to return to the Octagon in the spring. Topuria, 28, has been taking a break from MMA for the following reasons: “Difficult moments” in his personal life, Many fans hope he can return and take on Pimblett, with whom he has been feuding since a 2022 hotel dispute.
But at least for now, Topriya vs. Gaethje may not be a contender in this game. UFC plans White House fight in June.
Meanwhile, Pimblitt’s next move after his first UFC loss is unclear, but he will remain in the top 10 and another title fight may not be far away in the future.
“I want to walk away with that belt, and I know how strong I am; I don’t have to prove that to anybody,” Pimblitt said in the cage after the fight.
“I wanted to walk away with that belt, but there’s no one I’d rather lose to than ‘The Highlight,’ who’s someone I grew up watching. It shows why he’s a legend, right there.
“I thought 48-47 was a fair scorecard. I’m not going to lie, he hit me with a body shot in the first round that hit me in the solar plexus and hit me. Before that I thought I was going to win the round.
“I’m 31 and you haven’t seen the last of me,” he added, before speaking out in support of men’s mental health and mentioning two men close to him who apparently committed suicide in recent months. The Liverpool fan also paid tribute to the club’s late striker Diogo Jota and the footballer’s brother Andre Silva, both of whom died in car crashes last summer.
“Liverpudlians cannot be eliminated!” Gaethje said in the post-match interview, paying tribute to Pimblett. “This Scouser didn’t get knocked down, what a bloody gangster.
“I knew I had to put him at a disadvantage. He’s very dangerous and has great timing. I had to work really hard, but the champ moves forward and I just show you why that’s a must. I really had to trust my coach to say, ‘Move him back and put your head on his chest’. I landed some mean ground and hard punches and that was nasty!”