Scousers don’t get knocked out.
No. 5-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Paddy Pimblett endured the toughest night of his professional career in the main event of UFC 324 last night (Sat., Jan. 24, 2026), dropping a unanimous decision to Justin Gaethje in a five-round war for the interim Lightweight title inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (watch highlights).
The irony? Just days earlier, during UFC 324 media obligations, Gaethje told reporters he planned to turn Pimblett’s face into “mince meat.” Hyperbole or not, the post-fight photo suggests Gaethje came uncomfortably close to delivering exactly that.
Despite the loss, Pimblett (23-4) showed real grit in defeat. The Liverpool native absorbed heavy hands from Gaethje across five rounds, getting dropped several times, but survived. It marked Pimblett’s first loss inside the Octagon, snapping a nine-fight winning streak that included notable victories over Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and King Green.
While the defeat is a setback, Pimblett’s stock doesn’t crater. If anything, he proved he belongs at the elite level — even if he still has clear gaps to close against the division’s most violent veterans.
As for what’s next, there are plenty of directions the UFC could go, but a matchup with Dan Hooker makes a ton of sense — regardless of whether Hooker wins or loses his upcoming bout at UFC 325. It would be a high-profile, action-heavy fight that keeps Pimblett firmly in the Lightweight conversation, and they get to settle their toxic beef.
He didn’t win the belt — but Pimblett earned respect the hard way.
For complete UFC 324 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.