Justin Gaethje once again underlined his reputation as one of the most thrilling fighters in UFC history with his UFC 324 main-event win over Paddy Pimblett. The interim lightweight title fight delivered exactly what fans expected, earning both men a $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus after the UFC doubled its post-fight awards.
With that bonus, Gaethje reached a remarkable milestone. He is now tied with Dustin Poirier and Edson Barboza for the most Fight of the Night bonuses in UFC history, with ten in total. What makes the achievement stand out is how quickly he reached it: Gaethje has earned those ten bonuses in just 15 UFC fights, compared with 32 bouts each for Poirier and Barboza.
Aside from his two unsuccessful challenges for the undisputed lightweight title, Gaethje has almost always walked away with a post-fight bonus, reinforcing how consistently entertaining his fights are.
Attention now turns to a potential clash with Ilia Topuria, who reacted quickly after UFC 324. While Gaethje is famed for excitement and durability, Topuria has built a reputation as one of the most devastating finishers in the sport, having won bonuses in six straight fights, including knockouts in consecutive title bouts.
