The Liverpudlian is set for his toughest career challenge to date when he takes on Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title on Saturday night
Justin Gaethje brutally slammed Paddy Pimblett for his disrespectful comments towards several UFC icons ahead of their showdown.
The two stars are set to lock horns on Saturday night at UFC 324 in Las Vegas – with the interim lightweight title on the line. Both men were rather cordial towards each other when they met at a launch press conference over in Sin City last month.
However, during their final press conference on Thursday night, things got a little heated between the pair. Gaethje was left seething after his upcoming foe had said UFC legend Dustin Poirier looked ‘dog s***’ in his farewell bout against Max Holloway back in July, amid questions of the ‘Highlight’s’ goodbye tour.
Many believe Gaethje is in the twilight stages of his MMA career, and while the American has played down such talks, his long-time coach, Trevor Wittman, believes his star pupil will have one last crack at the undisputed championship. And it all starts on Saturday night.
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As both fighters took to the stage on Thursday, Gaethje did not mince his words when asked about the Liverpudlian’s remarks. “I love everything he’s been saying,” Gaethje said. “He sounds overconfident — he’s out here disrespecting legends like Dustin Poirier. I’m going to dog walk this English f*** on Saturday. Watch.”
It comes after Pimblett revealed to TNT Sports that Poirier put “too much expectation” on himself by announcing his retirement ahead of mouthwatering showdown with the former featherweight champion. “He’s come out and said, ‘Yeah, I’m this retirement fight,’ and he looked like a piece of dog s***,” Pimblett said. “Got his head punched in for five rounds and looked like s***. If you’re gonna retire, you need to just do it. You don’t want to tell everyone. He put too much expectation on his shoulders and got muftied in his own backyard, made himself look stupid.”
The ‘Baddy’ doubled down on his remarks on Thursday, stating: “Dustin’s never got a nice word to say about me, so I was honest and said he looked like s***. Stop f***ing crying.” Gaethje just could not let things slide and was eager to have the last say on the matter. “You would also look like s*** against Holloway,” he responded.
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Since confirmation of the blockbuster contest, many have been quick to downplay Pimblett’s skill set. The Liverpool native continues to be doubted by many, despite establishing himself as a real household name in the sport. The 31-year-old secured his shot at the interim prize after knocking out Michael Chandler last April.
Gaethje has been around the UFC a little longer than his upcoming adversary, and has been involved in many spine-tingling fights. The destructive knockout artist is a former interim lightweight champion, but has failed in his two previous attempts at undisputed glory. The American MMA veteran comes into the clash off a decisive decision win over Rafael Fiziev back in March.
When is Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje?
The mouthwatering showdown between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje will take place on Saturday, January 24, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early prelims are expected to get underway at around 10pm GMT (5pm ET / 2pm PT / 4pm CT), with the regular prelims due to start at 12am GMT on Sunday (7pm ET / 4pm PT / 6pm CT). The main card will begin at a new time of 2am GMT on Sunday (9pm ET / 6pm PT / 8pm CT).
In the main event Pimblett will likely make the walk to the cage first at around 4am GMT on Sunday (11pm ET / 8pm PT / 10pm CT), with Gaethje set to follow immediately after. The timings of all fights are subject to change and will depend on how long the undercard takes to complete.
For those watching in the United Kingdom, fans will be able to watch the entire action live on TNT Sports Box Office at a cost of £19.99. The event is available to purchase on discovery+, EE TV, Prime Video, Sky and Virgin Media TV. You do not need to be a TNT Sports subscriber to buy the event. UFC 324 marks a new era for the promotion after penning a deal with Paramount. So, for those watching in America, Paramount+ is where you will be able to watch all of the action.
