The confrontation between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje was considered by some to be a thrilling, though untidy, encounter. However, a distinguished mixed martial artist labeled it as one of the most inferior Ultimate Fighting Championship main events he had witnessed in a considerable period. This declaration originated from Josh Barnett, who holds the distinction of being the youngest UFC heavyweight champion ever. The fighter formerly recognized as ‘The Baby Faced Assassin’ has also achieved notable accomplishments under organizations such as Pride, Strikeforce, and numerous others.
After Gaethje secured the 155-pound gold against Pimblett via the judges’ scorecards, making him the UFC’s inaugural two-time interim champion, ‘The Warmaster’ expressed his candid thoughts on his personal X account, with Barnett stating,
“Wow. That was one of the WORST UFC main events in a while. Two capable and dynamic finishers, fighting like like a couple of newbies. Such a terrible display, stretched over 5 awful rounds. This was match for the prelims. #UFC324”
Analysis of Paddy Pimblett vs. Justin Gaethje by Another Esteemed Former UFC Fighter
The main event of UFC 324, featuring Paddy Pimblett versus Justin Gaethje, similarly failed to impress another prominent former UFC figure who previously established a strong reputation as a welterweight knockout artist during his career. The competitor in question is Matt Brown, who reacted to Barnett’s critique of the UFC’s initial main event under its renewed media rights agreement with Paramount. Within Barnett’s expanding conversation thread on X, Matt Brown commented,
“Agreed. Neither ilia [Topuria] nor Arman [Tsarukyan] will have to break a sweat to beat either of those guys.”
Responding to ‘The Immortal’ and his portrayal of how the reigning lightweight champion and the top-ranked challenger in the division would fare when facing either of the fighters involved in the interim title contest at 155 pounds, Barnett replied,
“If either [Paddy] Pimblett or [Justin’ Gaethje fight like they did last night, I agree.”
