At the UFC 324 post-fight press conference, Justin Gaethje revealed the ice-cold line he delivered to Paddy Pimblett immediately after the final bell.
Gaethje and Pimblett headlined the first numbered event of the year, UFC 324, which also marked the promotion’s debut on Paramount+.
On fight week, ‘The Baddy’ had warned Gaethje and predicted that ‘The Highlight’ wouldn’t be physically the same after their interim title fight.
However, on fight night, Pimblett failed to deliver on his promise and suffered his first-ever UFC loss, and also missed out on a chance to grab the interim title.
Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje was a pure striking fest, with both fighters showing courage as they stood and traded from the opening bell. There was an eye poke and a low blow, but beyond that, it was a banger of a main event.
Even in defeat, the Brit proved his toughness. He got knocked down, dealt with adversity multiple times, but ultimately lived up to his promise that Scousers don’t get knocked out.
After the final bell, Justin Gaethje went up to Paddy Pimblett and made him eat his words. ‘The Highlight’ quipped:
“He said my face was not going to look the same after the fight and his would look the exact same. As soon as it was over, I said, ‘Look at your face, motherf*cker. It does not look the same.'”
Check out Justin Gaethje’s comments below:
In the same interview, Gaethje also praised Pimblett for trying till the end to turn the tide in his favor:
“This guy was tryna hurt me the whole time, and if I took my foot off the pedal for a second, he was on my a**. He did a good job until the last second.”
Ilia Topuria mocks Paddy Pimblett
UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s plans of fighting Paddy Pimblett later this year were spoiled by Justin Gaethje at UFC 324. Now, ‘El Matador’ will have to meet the 37-year-old in a title unification bout.
After Paddy Pimblett failed to get his hand raised, Topuria took to X to remind the 31-year-old that he just missed the biggest payday of his career.
“Little sausage, the only thing you had to do was beat a 38-year-old guy. You just lost the biggest paycheck of your life. You were going to get rich if you won. Justin, all I can say is congratulations… and I’d like to tell you to get ready, but you’re screwed no matter what.”
Check out Ilia Topuria’s comments below:
Topuria vs. Pimblett would have been a massive fight, given the bad blood they share. The promotion and the fighters had been building this grudge match since UFC 317. However, for now, the bout is off the table because of Gaethje pulling another major upset.
