Paddy Pimblett has outlined his formidable path to turning into the UFC’s two-division champion after his interim light-weight title struggle towards Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 on January 24, with the Liverpool fighter revealing that defending his title is a precedence earlier than transferring as much as weight.
Pimblett, who has an expert file of 23-3, will face former interim champion Gaethje in the principle occasion at T-Cellular Enviornment in Las Vegas. The struggle will headline the UFC’s debut occasion on Paramount+ underneath a brand new $7.7 billion broadcast deal. The winner is predicted to face Ilia Topuria for the undisputed light-weight championship in late 2026.
Paddy Pimblett goals to turn into a two-division champion after interim title struggle at UFC 324
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Pimblett defined his long-term plans for championship success. When requested concerning the present chapter of his profession, he replied, “It is championship time. I am making an attempt to win this belt.” The 30-year-old fighter has made his intentions clear to ascertain dominance at 155 kilos earlier than pursuing a second title.
“I wish to be champion champion, however defending the title comes first,” Pimblett mentioned. “You’ll be able to’t transfer up and turn into champion except you defend your title and show that you are the finest in your division. I do not wish to chase Jon Jones or Demetrius Johnson’s file for that lengthy. I do not wish to struggle till I am 40.”
Pimblett’s championship ambitions lengthen to welterweight, the place Islam Makhachev, who moved up from light-weight, at the moment holds the title. At MMA Pink Nook in December, Pimblett shared his imaginative and prescient: “I’ll win this interim belt, after which I’ll beat Ilya to get the right belt, defend it, after which transfer up and win the welterweight belt.”
The trail to UFC 324 accelerated in November when Topuria introduced that he wouldn’t compete within the first quarter of 2026 because of private causes. Topria, who gained the light-weight title by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June 2025, mentioned he desires to give attention to his kids and resolve a troublesome state of affairs in his private life. Slightly than delay the division, the UFC opted to create an interim title struggle.
Gaethje, who’s ranked No. 4 within the light-weight division, has expertise successful interim titles. The 38-year-old gained interim gold in 2020 by defeating Tony Ferguson, however misplaced to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a unification bout. Gaethje, who’s 26-5 with 20 knockouts, would be the largest take a look at of Pimblett’s UFC profession.
Pimblett enters the struggle ranked fifth within the light-weight division after seven straight wins within the UFC. His most up-to-date win was a third-round technical knockout victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April 2025.
Pimblett explains why he will not observe Jon Jones’ title protection file
Regardless of his championship targets, Pimblett made it clear he had no intention of extending his title reign. When requested if he meant to observe the file of title defenses held by Jon Jones (13 title defenses throughout weight courses) and Demetrius Johnson (11 consecutive flyweight defenses), he dismissed the concept.
“I do not wish to chase Jon Jones or Demetrius Johnson’s file that lengthy,” Pimblett mentioned. “I do not wish to struggle till I am 40,” a press release that distinguishes his strategy from the champion, who has dominated his division for years via a number of title defenses.
The interim title struggle at UFC 324 will happen amidst the altering panorama of the light-weight division. Arman Tsarukyan, who ranked first within the division, defeated Dan Hooker in November and was vocal about how he deserved the title. Tsarukyan’s exclusion from the interim title struggle has drawn criticism from some observers who take into account Pimblett’s choice untimely given his lack of wins towards top-10 opponents.
Pimblett’s undefeated UFC streak started with a first-round knockout of Luigi Vendramini in September 2021. Since then, he has earned 5 Efficiency of the Evening bonuses, together with wins over Rodrigo Vargas, Jordan Leavitt, King Greene and Chandler. His seven wins within the UFC got here with out six of his bouts reaching the judges’ scorecards.
