Justin Gaethje could be bonus-hunting again at UFC 324—but maybe not in the way fans have come to expect.
“The Highlight” has a chance to become two-time interim lightweight champion and set himself up for a unification bout with Ilia Topuria if he beats Paddy Pimblett on Jan. 24 in what looks like a classic striker vs. grappler matchup on paper. However, Gaethje is prepared to test his ground game against Pimblett’s, having shared the octagon with some of the UFC’s best ground fighters, including
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira.
“People remember the biggest fights that I’ve had against the most elite grapplers, you know I have had issues,” Gaethje said on Submission Radio. “But the way that Charles Oliveira got me to the ground was by rocking me and sitting me down with a punch. Khabib was just a whole other conundrum.
“Ultimately, he’s a really good grappler but since the Charles Oliveira fight, I’ve really, really trained a lot of jiu-jitsu, a lot of grappling, and I’ve actually been enjoying it a lot more than I ever have. So I’m not looking to grapple, but I have no issue with the grappling department and my ability to keep people from taking me down is second to none. So he’s going to have to compromise me with his punches and kicks and knees and then if that happens then he’ll have a better chance. This is such a crazy game, you just never know. Maybe I’ll sub him. That’s got to be million-to-one odds, though.”
Over the course of his storied career, Gaethje has earned just one of his 21 wins by submission and that happened long before he became a UFC superstar. He’s earned numerous Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards for bouts that either ended in thrilling knockouts or went the distance in dramatic fashion.
He fully expects Pimblett to throw down on the feet before going to his grappling, which gives Gaethje plenty of opportunities to put hands on the Englishman.
“I rate his striking probably a 7 or an 8,” Gaethje said. “He really throws a lot of power into his shots and if you do get hit with those shots, there’s no doubt it’s a problem. And he’s constantly moving forward and that’s a big part of this sport and it really gets him into these clinch positions and into these takedown positions off of his strikes. So I’ve really got to create angles and run him into shots. I’ve always said I create car crashes, I want to be the object that gets there first and has the most force, and that’s by controlling his feet and running him into dangerous positions.”
Whether it ends in a finish or goes the judges, Gaethje vs. Pimblett is expected to deliver in the action department. However, the matchup has still been met with skepticism due to a superfluous interim title being thrown into the mix and No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan being left out in the cold.
Pimblett has also proven to be a polarizing figure. The former Cage Warriors star is 7-0 in the UFC, but fans have criticized his wins over slumping opponents like Michael Chandler, King Green, and Tony Ferguson. Gaethje has heard the whinging over their title fight and despite being a longtime fan favorite, he’s felt the heat from the booking as well.
“I felt just as much hate for me as I did for him,” Gaethje said. “I mean, my fans are [happy], the people that support me are, but obviously if you’re an Arman fan you feel slighted and I understand that, but this is such a crazy game and timing is everything.
“I beat Dustin Poirier and then he ended up fighting for a belt after that. This just a crazy game and if you sign up for this game, there’s so many variables that you do not control and ultimately you just have to be ready for each one of these nights when they show up.”
TOP STORIES
Mailbag. MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew answers your burning questions.
Huh. Francis Ngannou addresses Dana White’s claim that they had a physical altercation.
Justice. Islam Makhachev feels Arman Tsarukyan should be fighting for a UFC title.
Travesty. Joe Rogan believes Jon Jones has to be included in the UFC White House lineup.
Miracle. Jake Paul is confident he KOs Anthony Joshua.
Alternative. Carlos Prates has an opponent in mind with title shot unlikely.
VIDEO STEW
Watch Between the Links live at noon ET.
Renato Moicano and Grant Dawson look back at UFC 323.
UFC Vegas 112 media day.
UFC 323 Fight Motion.
Watch UFC BJJ 4 tonight.
FLAVOR IN YOUR EAR
No Bets Barred.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
The definitive fight week schedule.
Fighting words.
Why not?
Catching a stray.
Yes, I think about this a lot, why do you ask?
Canadian thing, you wouldn’t get it.
There will be blood.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Joanderson Brito (17-5-1) vs. Isaac Thomson (9-2); UFC Vegas 112, Dec. 13
Mario Bautista (16-3) vs. Vinicius Oliveira (23-3); UFC Vegas 113, Feb. 7
FINAL THOUGHTS
Justin Gaethje’s appears to be in a good headspace as he heads into another big fight with his career winding down. That could spell trouble for Paddy Pimblett, who is yet to be knocked out, but has also never faced a hitter like Gaethje. I’m fascinated to see how this one plays out.
EXIT POLL
If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.
