Justin Gaethje shares bold prediction for UFC 324 interim title fight against Paddy Pimblett

Justin Gaethje has a surprise prediction for his UFC 324 interim title fight against Paddy Pimblett.

Gaethje is set to headline the first card of 2025, which will be the UFC’s debut on Paramount. It’s a highly anticipated fight, and Pimblett opened as the betting favorite. Although Gaethje is the underdog, he has confidence he won’t just win, but believes he can submit Pimblett.

“People remember the biggest fights that I’ve had against the most elite grapplers, you know I have had issues,” Gaethje said to Submission Radio. “But the way that Charles Oliveira got me to the ground was by rocking me and sitting me down with a punch. Khabib was just a whole other conundrum. Ultimately, he’s a really good grappler but since the Charles Oliveira fight, I’ve really, really trained a lot of jiu-jitsu, a lot of grappling, and I’ve actually been enjoying it a lot more than I ever have.

“So I’m not looking to grapple. But I have no issue with the grappling department and my ability to keep people from taking me down is second to none. So he’s going to have to compromise me with his punches and kicks and knees and then if that happens then he’ll have a better chance. This is such a crazy game, you just never know. Maybe I’ll sub him. That’s got to be million-to-one odds, though.”

Many assume that if Gaethje wins, it would be by knockout, but he thinks he has the tools to submit Pimblett.

Justin Gaethje rates Paddy Pimblett’s striking

Although Gaethje believes he can submit Pimblett at UFC 324, he does think he will have success on the feet.

However, Gaethje knows Pimblett has knockout power himself, so he has to be cautious on the feet. But, ‘The Highlight’ thinks his pressure can break guys.

“I rate his striking probably a 7 or an 8,” Gaethje said. “He really throws a lot of power into his shots. If you do get hit with those shots, there’s no doubt it’s a problem. And he’s constantly moving forward. That’s a big part of this sport and it really gets him into these clinch positions and into these takedown positions off of his strikes.

“So I’ve really got to create angles and run him into shots. I’ve always said I create car crashes, I want to be the object that gets there first and has the most force, and that’s by controlling his feet and running him into dangerous positions.”

Gaethje is 26-5 as a pro and coming off a win over Rafael Fiziev. He’s looking to become a two-time UFC interim lightweight champion.