Footage has emerged of Paddy Pimblett appearing to vape ahead of his UFC 324 interim lightweight title fight with Justin Gaethje in Las Vegas
Paddy Pimblett has stunned fans just days before his fight with Justin Gaethje(Image: )
Paddy Pimblett has sent shockwaves through the UFC just days before his showdown with Justin Gaethje after footage surfaced appearing to show the Scouser taking a drag on a vape.
The ‘Baddy’ is gearing up for the biggest test of his career at UFC 324 in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The stakes have been raised considerably for both Pimblett and Gaethje after Dana White and UFC bosses decided to put an interim lightweight title up for grabs in their main event clash.
Reigning champion Ilia Topuria has been compelled to step away from the octagon temporarily for personal matters and is anticipated to return to competition later this year. With the organisation opting to press ahead for now, it’s handed Pimblett the ideal chance to secure a scrap with his long-standing adversary.
With so much riding on this weekend’s bout, it’s evident Pimblett isn’t cutting any corners in his preparation. In the build-up to UFC 324, the Merseyside fighter received a visit from fellow Brit and heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
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The duo delved into an extensive discussion covering various subjects – though one moment captured more attention than the rest. Pimblett was seemingly caught using a vape whilst they chatted, reports All Out Fighting. In footage shared on Aspinall’s YouTube channel, the 31-year-old appeared to take a drag during a brief respite from his intense training regime. Predictably, the clip spread like wildfire across social media, prompting widespread reaction from the MMA world.
“Annnnnnd my bets changed,” one viewer remarked. “Paddy vaping and eating so unhealthy when he’s not in fight camp. Will take a toll on him later on in his career,” a second observer noted. Another chimed in: “His gas tank is gonna be f***** if he doesn’t finish Gaethje in the first 2 rounds hahaha.” MMA fighter Leah McCourt weighed in: “Lol most fighters I know do. And world champion boxers.” One commenter predicted: “JUSTIN VIA DOMINATION.”
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Despite the chatter circulating within MMA circles, Pimblett remains unbothered and has promised to deliver a devastating knockout come fight night. Speaking recently with the MMA Guru, the Scouser didn’t hold back when offering his official UFC 324 prediction.
“I think I finish him wherever the fight goes to be honest. Obviously, I know he can bang, but every fight we get a breakdown of our opponent and it actually shocks me how much he gets hit and I know he takes one to give one, but you cannot really do that at this level,” he declared. “That’s why he has lost to people like Eddie Alvarez, Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira because he can’t just take one to give one, and I am not just going to stand there and let him hit me back. I’ll be using my range, keeping him on the outside, and I have got a feeling I am going to knock him out to be honest. I do not know what it is, I have just got a sneaky suspicion I am going to knock him out.
“I have been doing a lot of rounds with Luke Riley for this camp and Luke’s got much better technical striking than Justin Gaethje, and I am having a lot of success sparring with Luke and obviously one of my coaches Ellis, who used to fight himself, he is the exact same build as Justin. He’s 5’10 with a 70 inch reach and I have been doing rounds with him. Literally because he does not fight anymore and he is just a coach, he has just done Justin’s style for me. He has not got his own style, he has been doing Justin for me. I can see me knocking him out or dropping him and then submitting him.”
When is Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje?
The highly anticipated clash between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje is set for Saturday, January 24, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The early prelims are scheduled to kick off at approximately 10pm GMT (5pm ET / 2pm PT / 4pm CT), whilst the standard prelims should commence at midnight GMT on Sunday (7pm ET / 4pm PT / 6pm CT).
The main card will begin at a revised time of 2am GMT on Sunday (9pm ET / 6pm PT / 8pm CT). In the main event, Pimblett is expected to make his entrance to the octagon first at approximately 4am GMT on Sunday (11pm ET / 8pm PT / 10pm CT), with Gaethje following shortly afterwards. The timings for all bouts are subject to alteration and will depend on the duration of the undercard.
For viewers in the United Kingdom, the entire event will be broadcast live on TNT Sports Box Office for £19.99. The card can be purchased through discovery+, EE TV, Prime Video, Sky and Virgin Media TV. A TNT Sports subscription is not required to buy the event. UFC 324 represents a new chapter for the promotion following an agreement with Paramount. Therefore, for American audiences, Paramount+ will be the platform to catch all the action.