UFC 324 marks the promotion’s return after a six-week break, and its main event has sparked rare consensus among the Bloody Elbow staff.
The interim lightweight title fight pits Justin Gaethje against Paddy Pimblett over five rounds at the T-Mobile Arena. With undisputed champion Ilia Topuria temporarily away from competition, the winner is expected to move toward a unification bout.
Despite Gaethje’s experience and reputation as one of the division’s most violent strikers, every Bloody Elbow writer tipped Pimblett to win — and all by submission. The common reasoning is that Gaethje has historically struggled once fights hit the mat, while Pimblett’s strongest weapon is his Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Predictions ranged from a rear-naked choke to other submission finishes, most within the first three rounds. Even writers skeptical of Pimblett’s long-term title prospects agreed that stylistically this matchup favors “The Baddy,” calling it his best possible test at the top of the lightweight ladder.
Whether that confidence proves justified will be decided on Saturday night, but heading into UFC 324, the pundits are strikingly aligned: Pimblett by submission.
