There have been some first event instant classics over the years — the lightweight title fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard at UFC 125 and Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit going head-to-head at UFC 195 immediately come to mind — and this one was on par with those, if not better. Gaethje reverted to his wilder ways to start, and Pimblett met him on his terms, dealing with an early knockdown and showing his mettle by surviving and then running close to level with “The Highlight” the rest of the way.
This is one of those fights that was closer than the final scores convey and a bout where calling Pimblett the loser feels like you’re missing the, ahem, bigger picture.
UFC 324 REWIND: Main Card Results | Prelim Results | Scorecards | Bonus Winners
Gaethje needed this one. He’d talked about making one last run at the undisputed title, which he’s failed to capture twice before, and in order to get one more shot, he had to beat Pimblett. He broke out some of his wrestling, leaned on his trademark toughness, and stayed in the Brit’s face for most of the 25-minute affair, taking heavy blows out and doling out even greater punishment in return while making it abundantly clear that he’s not yet ready to go gentle into that good night.
Pimblett was crestfallen (and lumped up) when he spoke with Joe Rogan following the contest, but hopefully in time, “The Baddy” will come to see this as the massive overall victory it was. Yes, he lost the fight, but he gained so much in the process by further proving that Scousers don’t get knocked out and that he is truly at the elite level in the 155-pound weight class. He’ll be back, and whenever he does return, it will be in a huge fight with another lightweight standout.
If you can take personal rooting interests out of it and take a look at this matchup and its outcome through a wider lens, this honestly feels like the right result for both the present and the future: Gaethje is now in line to face off with marauding champion Ilia Topuria whenever he’s ready to return to action, which is going to be a gargantuan fight atop a loaded numbered event later this year. Rather than going out with a whimper, he gets the opportunity to potentially deliver one of the coolest closing chapters you could imagine, and after the performance he turned in on Saturday night, it’s clear that summarily dismissing his chances is foolhardy.
