The UFC kicks off their 2026 schedule of events with UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight card is headlined by an interim title bout between former interim titleholder Justin Gaethje and No. 5 ranked Paddy Pimblett.
For Gaethje, it may be his last opportunity at UFC gold. For Pimblett, it’s the biggest fight of his career. Former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier weighed in on the matchup and predicted that Gaethje will stop “The Baddy.”
“It’s a fun fight. I’m leaning towards Justin, but we’ll see,” Poirier said on the Ariel Helwani Show. “I just think he’s been in those 25-minute fights. He’s been in dog fights before. I think Paddy’s going to have a tough time stopping him on the feet. And I don’t think Paddy’s going to be able to get him down, so he’s going to have to fight with him unless Paddy can stay super disciplined for 25 minutes, stay at distance, pick his shots.”
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Poirier has stood across the octagon from Gaethe twice. He was knocked out by “The Highlight” in their second encounter and knows exactly how dangerous Gaethje is.
“Justin’s just a bigger puncher, and he’ll put himself in harm’s way to land one of those shots. It’s tough to stay away from him for 25 minutes,” Poirier said. “I think Justin stops him.”
Poirier’s confident in his pick and plans to place a wager on Gaethje winning inside the distance.
