Justin Gaethje responds to Paddy Pimblett’s calls for UFC title rematch: ‘Destined?’
· Yahoo Sports
Justin Gaethje has dismissed Paddy Pimblett’s calls for a rematch with the UFC lightweight title on the line, after the Liverpudlian star’s rapid win on Saturday.
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In the co-main event of UFC 329, Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint-Denis in 52 seconds, bouncing back from a January loss to Gaethje.
Gaethje battered “Paddy The Baddy” to win on points and collect the interim lightweight belt, before becoming undisputed champion in June, when he scored an upset stoppage victory over Ilia Topuria at the White House.
Justin Gaethje (left) battered and outpointed Paddy Pimblett in January (Getty)Pimblett had looked some way from the title picture in recent months, given the one-sided nature of his loss to Gaethje, but he catapulted himself back into conversations by putting Saint-Denis unconscious with a D’arce choke.
In his post-fight interview in the cage at UFC 329, Pimblett called out Gaethje as well as Conor McGregor and Max Holloway, who were about to square off in the main event in Las Vegas. McGregor suffered an injury inside 69 seconds, as his first fight in five years ended in disaster.
“I’ll beat Ilia up, I’ll f***ing rematch Justin, I’ll fight Conor or Max next,” Pimblett said. “I don’t give a f***. Give me anyone and I’ll punch their head in.”
While Holloway vs Pimblett seems a plausible option, Gaethje said of a rematch with the Scouser, on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday: “Destined for each other to fight again? No. No, no, no.”
He also reacted to Pimblett’s claim that he had gained motivation to train harder after seeing Gaethje stop Topuria, saying: “I think it’s crazy what my story has done for so many people.
“Rafael Fiziev, a guy I fought two times, says a very similar thing. I kind of rejuvenated him when I won that fight. Him losing two times to me, having been in there with me two times, kind of rejuvenated him.
Ilia Topuria (centre) was brutally beaten by Gaethje, retiring on his stool after the fourth round (Getty)“[Boxer] Anthony Joshua, I saw him talking about how you can never forget how real fighting is and how dangerous it is and never becoming too full of yourself. He learned that from that lesson.
“It’s pretty cool across the board, all athletes respect our sport because it’s so humbling, so primal. It’s one on one. It’s freaking awesome.”
Gaethje, 37, had already played down the idea of an immediate rematch with Topuria, who suffered his first professional loss when he fought the American. So, with Gaethje seemingly not keen on a rematch with Pimblett or Topuria, his next move is unclear, although the UFC will ultimately decide whom the “Highlight” fights.
Arman Tsarukyan is an option for Gaethje’s next opponent, with the Armenian ranked No 2 at lightweight and on a five-fight win streak.
Pimblett choked Benoit Saint-Denis unconscious (Getty)However, UFC president Dana White has been open about the promotion’s frustrations with Tsarukyan, who withdrew from a title fight against then-champion Islam Makhachev in January 2025 and headbutted opponent Dan Hooker at their November weigh-in.
While Tsarukyan has struggled for activity in the UFC in recent years, he has been prolific in extracurricular grappling bouts. The 29-year-old has won 12 grappling matches and drawn one in the last 14 months, and he is scheduled to face recently-retired UFC title challenger Colby Covington on Saturday.