Dan Hardy thinks Justin Gaethje should avoid throwing low kicks against Paddy Pimblett.
In the first main event of 2026, Gaethje will go toe-to-toe with Pimblett at UFC 324 on January 24. The winner will emerge as the new interim lightweight champion, setting the stage for an inevitable clash with reigning undisputed titleholder Ilia Topuria.
As it stands, Pimblett is a moderate favorite going into his first headliner, with sportsbooks listing the Liverpudlian at 2-to-1 odds.
Looking ahead to the highly anticipated clash, former UFC star Dan Hardy offered some key advice for Gaethje during a recent interview with Submission Radio.
“A lot of people think Paddy’s just going to try to get this to the ground as quickly as possible, but I like him using his leg kicks and setting things up,” Hardy said. “If you’re Justin Gaethje, I wouldn’t be throwing as many low kicks, especially after Fiziev was creating scrambles off them. He’s got a really good low‑kick game, but I think Paddy’s going to be taller and have a longer reach, and I think it’s going to expose Gaethje when he’s throwing kicks.
“His technique is effective, but it can be kind of clumsy at times. He’s a bit stiff in the upper body, and when he throws those kicks, he tends to leave his head right in that center pocket. Paddy’s got long‑range weapons – long jab, long kicks – and even if he just knocks Gaethje off balance while he’s kicking, that creates a scramble to get on his neck, take his back, catch him with a knee on the way up. There are too many downsides in my mind for Gaethje throwing kicks.
“If I’m him, I’m walking forward Peter Yan‑style, calmly eating up the canvas, backing Paddy up against the fence,and trying to get him out of shape and crack him with big overhands or the left hook. That would be the smart thing to do.”
Will Gaethje Snap Pimblett’s Unbeaten Streak Inside the Octagon?
Pimblett heads to ‘Sin City’ with a perfect 7-0 record under the UFC banner. In his last outing, ‘The Baddy’ scored a third-round TKO finish over former Bellator champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler at UFC 314.
Meanwhile, Gaethje goes into his last shot at gold having won three of his previous four, including a pair of W’s over Rafael Fiziev and a highlight-reel head-kick KO against Dustin Poirier.
