UFC 324 is less than two weeks away as MMA fans get ready for the new era of 2026.
The numbered card features multiple intriguing battles, including Kayla Harrison’s bantamweight title defence against Amanda Nunes.
English fans will be heavily prepared for the event as Arnold Allen features on the main card in his featherweight bout with Jean Silva.
But that matchup is not as important as the headliner, as Paddy Pimblett goes head-to-head with Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight championship. Here is the current UFC legacy of ‘Paddy The Baddy’.
Cage Warriors Star makes his presence known
Pimblett became recognised in the MMA scene after his time in Cage Warriors (CW), as he was bound to compete in the sport’s biggest organisation.
The Scouser became the CW Featherweight Champion in just his 13th professional fight after knocking out Johnny Frachey in the first round.
During the era of COVID-19, the 31-year-old pulled off two first-round stoppages against Decky Dalton and Davide Martinez.
These impressive performances led him to earn a UFC contract, as his fan base was about to heavily increase if he kept up his phenomenal victories.
The Baddy made his debut at UFC Vegas 36, stepping up against ‘The Italian Stallion’ Luigi Vendramini, who had already fought three times in the organisation.
Pimblett was on the undercard of fellow Liverpudlian Darren Till, who was contesting against Derek Brunson in the main event.
The BJJ black belt was stunned within the first minute of the fight, receiving some powerful punches which almost knocked down the debutant.
However, with one minute to go in the first round, Pimblett landed a series of punch combinations of his own, which led to a knockout win over Vendramini, making a good first impression in the UFC.
Showstopping performances and a controversial decision
Six months after claiming his first win, Pimblett competed in front of a proper crowd for the first time, which just happened to be at the O2 Arena for UFC London.
In this event, the Englishman went toe-to-toe with Kazula Vargas as the scheduled three-round bout was only below the co-main event and headliner, which featured Tom Aspinall vs Alexander Volkov.
The former Cage Warriors Champion showcased his jiu-jitsu in this battle and won by first-round submission via a Rear-Naked Choke.
After an incredibly successful event, another fight night would be held in London, with Pimblett once again competing. This time, he faced Jordan Leavitt, known for his submission skills.
Once again, Pimblett continued to impress as he stopped ‘The Monkey King’ in the second round by rear-naked choke, becoming the first fighter to make Leavitt tap out in MMA.
With more wins stacking on his UFC profile, The Baddy became a bigger name in the UFC and was only going to get more recognised when he travelled to Las Vegas to feature in the co-main event of UFC 282.
The Liverpool-born fighter fought against experienced mixed martial artist Jared Gordon in what would be the biggest fight of the prospect’s career.
Both men went the distance after three rounds, with many believing Gordon had done enough to win, but once the judges’ scorecards were read aloud, it was announced that Pimblett had won by unanimous decision, which caused a lot of backlash on the scouser.
conquering former champion and reclaiming his fan base
Pimblett was forced out of action for some time due to injury, all while he was receiving toxicity from the MMA community after his controversial decision win.
The Next Generation MMA Liverpool Fighter returned one year after his debatable victory, going back to Las Vegas to fight former Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson at UFC 296.
‘El Cucuy’ was on a horrific downward spiral at the time, suffering six consecutive losses and in dire need of a win, as he was a fan-favourite.
The future lightweight title challenger got the better of Ferguson, going the distance to win by a comfortable unanimous decision to put some respect back on his name.
While remaining undefeated in the UFC, Pimblett continued his quest to enter the 155-pound rankings, putting him closer to a potential championship opportunity.
The 31-year-old got the chance he was looking for as he clashed with #15 contender King Green at UFC 304 in Manchester.
Green’s last bout came at the historic UFC 300 event, where he defeated the longest-reigning veteran, Jim Miller, by a dominant unanimous decision.
But, at the Co-op Live Arena, it would be The Baddy that showed dominance as he submitted the American with a Triangle Choke in the first round, claiming the 10th submission victory of his 25-fight career.
Entering title contention
The UFC lightweight division was preparing for a new champion and challengers, depending on the result of UFC 315’s headliner, with Islam Makhachev set to vacate his title and move up a weight class.
Pimblett had the chance to become a strong title contender when he was set to take on former championship challenger Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 314 in Miami.
Prior to his decision loss to Charles Oliveira, Chandler was hoping to fight Conor McGregor, but the matchup never materialised.
In what was an exciting war, Pimblett did not need to go five rounds with the #7 contender as he convincingly won by third-round TKO.
After the events of UFC 314, the lightweight attention was turned to UFC 317, where Ilia Topuria became the new 155-pound king after knocking out Oliveira in the first round.
During the post-fight interview, ‘El Matador’ called out Pimblett to challenge him for the lightweight throne, as both men have a heated history since the beginning of their UFC careers.
The Baddy entered the Octagon and exchanged words with Topuria, giving MMA fans a future title fight to look forward to.
Due to personal issues, the undisputed lightweight champion has had to take some time away from defending his title.
All is not lost for the Liverpudlian, as his interim title clash with Gaethje is still on and set for the T-Mobile Arena.
‘The Highlight’ has previously become the interim lightweight champion when he defeated Ferguson at UFC 249 and has featured in two undisputed championship fights, which he both lost by submission.
The former BMF title holder is in this position after a redeeming win against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313, as he still aims to complete his conquest of being an undisputed UFC Champion.
If Pimblett is victorious at UFC 324, it will be without doubt the biggest triumph of his career and should guarantee a matchup with his greatest rival, Topuria, at some point later in 2026.