LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JANUARY 24: (L-R) Justin Gaethje punches Paddy Pimblett of England in the UFC lightweight interim championship bout during the UFC 324 event at T-Mobile Arena on January 24, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett to become the UFC’s new interim lightweight champion at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Gaethje now has the monumental task of becoming the undisputed lightweight champion against Ilia Topuria, likely at the UFC White House card in June. Gaethje’s future clash with Topuria and the politics of the UFC matchmaking should be put aside for the moment, as we should celebrate Justin Gaethje’s incredible performance and accomplishments.

Justin Gaethje’s UFC 324 Performance Was a Career Best

Justin Gaethje was the underdog in this fight. If Gaethje lost to Pimblett, he would not receive another shot at the lightweight title and likely would have retired, according to his coach, Trevor Wittman.

“If we don’t win this fight, we’re not going on. We’re not going to go out there and be a gatekeeper and look at more fights.” Whitman told ESPN earlier this month

The stakes of this fight were monumental for Gaethje. Going up against a fighter six years younger, in Paddy Pimblett. who was riding a nine-fight winning streak in the UFC, with just nine career fights with the organization, for one final shot at becoming the undisputed lightweight champion. Whether you believed the hype around Paddy Pimblett or not, history tells us the younger fighter typically wins in these sorts of matchups. Fighters who have been in violent back-and-forth wars, such as Gaethje, usually lose a step by the time they’ve entered their mid-thirties. However, Justin Gaethje is not your ordinary fighter. At UFC 324, he displayed incredible grit and toughness, fighting with the reckless, chaotic, fast-paced style he’s always brought to the octagon. Still, this time, he did it at 37, against a young, hungry, and undefeated UFC contender, with his career quite literally in the balance. Gaethje reminded everyone that he is a legend in this sport. In my opinion, UFC 324 was a career-best performance for Justin Gaethje, given the circumstances. He defied time, odds and logic.

Gaethje and Pimblett put on an electric, chaotic show for five whole rounds. Both men earned Fight of the Night honors, putting Gaethje in the UFC record books once again. In 15 fights in the UFC, Gaethje has earned 15 performance bonuses, tied for fourth in UFC history. Only Charles Oliveira (21), Donald Cerrone (18), and Nate Diaz (16) have more performance bonuses. Each of those fighters has ten more UFC fights than Justin Gaethje. Gaethje vs Pimblett received a Fight of the Night bonus for UFC 324, marking the 10th occasion Gaethje has won the Fight of the Night Bonus, tying Dustin Poirier and Edson Barboza for the most in UFC history. Both men have fought 32 fights in the UFC, more than double that of Justin Gaethje. 

“That’s through 15 (UFC) fights (for me), They had 32 or 31. No one’s been as exciting and consistent as me ever. I’m proud of that.” Gaethje told MMA Junkie when asked about tying the Fight of the Night Bonus record.

With all the discourse about the politics behind the UFC’s matchmaking, granting Gaethje an interim title shot over #1 contender Arman Tsarukyan, and the David vs. Goliath matchup he faces against Topuria, we are forgetting to appreciate the greatness of Justin Gaethje. Is he the greatest of all time? No. He’s never even been the best lightweight of his era, and he may never be. But Justin Gaethje is, without a doubt, the most entertaining fighter in UFC history, and that means something too.