After a long break of UFC, now we are finally back! Here is our take on the main UFC 324 event. Justin Gaethje is going to face Paddy Pimblett. This fight has received a lot of criticism from the media and MMA community.

Justin Gaethje is in a very tough spot. This is not because he is once again the underdog but primarily because of his age. Many people believe he has no chance against Paddy Pimblett. Some even go further, predicting an absolute “murder” by Paddy Pimblett.

It is important to recognize Paddy’s accomplishments and skills. We have seen him out-grapple some fighters, especially on the ground. Notably, he has out-grappled fighters such as Jordan Leavitt, Michael Chandler, and King Green, who lost via first-round technical submission (triangle choke/armbar). Having said that, people are forgetting the poor striking defense he has. He takes a significant amount of shots in his fights. This can be a tremendous danger. Justin Gaethje has a ton of power in his hand. His head kicks can put him to sleep at any moment.

Justin Gaethje punches Dustin Poirier in a lightweight fight for the BMF belt during the UFC 291 event at Delta Center on July 29, 2023 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC)

The Key Factor of Experience

We have seen Justin Gaethje face adversity countless times over the years. He has some wins and losses. I am pretty sure we can agree that he has been progressing in a positive way.

Learning from his losses with big names like Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and more recently Max Holloway. This will be crucial for this fight. He has built tremendous experience and danger awareness. Considering his age, I am 100% sure he will rely more on his fighting IQ than physical skills.

Make Him Miss. Make Him Pay

There is no doubt Gaethje hits like a truck (as Khabib said). Most important is his durability when he is fighting on his feet. His counters are going to be important to win this fight, whether it’s by decision or KO. He will take advantage of every single opening Paddy displays during the fight.

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Final Prediction

At the end of the day, anything can happen in a fight. I feel that Justin Gaethje has been underestimated many times. He has proven us wrong on many occasions. This fight is not going to be an exception. For that reason, my final pick is Justin Gaethje winning this fight by KO or decision.