Rising MMA star Paddy Pimblett went to war with Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje at the main event in UFC 324 on Sunday. There were high hopes for Pimblett coming into the octagon for an interim title bout before reaching the real deal with defending lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. However, Gaethje was just too much for the English grappler known also as “The Baddy.” Despite a heartbreaking defeat and a bloodied face, praise poured for Paddy Pimblett—and so did the backlash.
‘One of the Worst UFC Main Events’ – Josh Barnett
Pimblett was seen as a heavy favorite going into the bout. Unfortunately, he had to go up against a knockout merchant and one of the best strikers in the business. Right at the beginning, the result was already expected. Gaethje was trying to sweep the floor with Pimblett, but the British MMA fighter showed resiliency all through five rounds.
Even though some UFC fans thought it was one thrilling bout and a possible nominee for fight of the year, there were also some who didn’t like the UFC 324 main event. One of those was former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett.
On Barnett’s social media account, the American fighter claimed the Pimblett-Gaethje fight was “one of the worst UFC main events in a while.” The retired champ even slammed the two fighters for the “terrible display.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, two lightweight superstars, Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan, were on the same boat of not being fans of the fight. Makhachev was disgusted, to say the least, while Tsarukyan was blatantly bitter toward Pimblett after being overlooked for the title fight despite being no. 1 in the division.
Dana White Gives Paddy Pimblett His Flowers
Even with the criticisms, Paddy Pimblett did have his moments, but the most surprising part was how he managed to survive five rounds in the ring with Gaethje. At times, it looked like The Baddy was done, yet he continued to fight back and still went toe-to-toe against the 37-year-old veteran.
Although he suffered a brutal loss, Pimblett still earned a lot of respect from the fans and the organization, including from some UFC legends like Georges St-Pierre, Brad Tavares, and Jared Gordon. Even Gaethje was taken aback by Pimblett’s skills and admitted he and his team underestimated the Englishman.
But the biggest props he received were from UFC CEO Dana White, who was just as surprised as anybody insofar as Pimblett’s ability to take Gaethje’s punches.
What’s Next for The Baddy?
After that brutal loss, it’s safe to say Paddy Pimblett will take some time to recover physically and maybe even mentally. But this early, there are already talks of him fighting either Arman Tsarukyan or Dan Hooker.
Either way, the 31-year-old star will be expected to deliver another high-octane action fight when he returns to the octagon.
