Paddy Pimblett came up short on the promises he made to fans at UFC 324. In the year’s first numbered event, Justin Gaethje gave the Scouser a harsh reality check, showing exactly what it takes to step into the Octagon with a fighter of legendary status. For five relentless rounds, ‘The Highlight’ pushed forward with his trademark aggression and brawling style, keeping his opponent under constant pressure. Still, Pimblett’s own mistakes played a major role in the outcome.

Since his UFC debut, Paddy Pimblett had an undefeated record before entering UFC 324, owing to his striking skills mixed with a strong jiu-jitsu background. The 31-year-old entered as the fan favorite at UFC 324 main event, while Justin Gaethje carried the underdog tag. However, once the fight started, Gaethje dismantled Pimblett’s unbeaten run. Now, after the event, the former UFC champion highlighted the Briton’s own errors as the key factor in his disappointing loss.

Paddy Pimblett draws criticism from Demetrious Johnson

“I’m shocked Paddy has not shot a double leg. For how good his grappling is, I’m very shocked by that. See, this is where, like, the MMA, it’s like you have such a clear advantage over somebody in grappling,” Demetrious Johnson reacted while watching Paddy Pimblett’s UFC 324 performance, pointing out that Pimblett never tried to take down Justin Gaethje. The ‘Home of Fight’ recently shared the clip on X.

In the five-round battle, Paddy Pimblett avoided much of the grappling against Justin Gaethje and stuck to his preferred stand-up game. The Briton stayed off the ground, but ‘The Highlight’ applied relentless pressure and landed heavy shots that kept the Scouser on the back foot throughout the fight. Pimblett showed some toughness, but it wasn’t enough.

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Later in the fight, when he finally tried to grapple, Gaethje had already hurt him and prevented the takedown, so the damage was already done.

“Stop trying to f–king grab. He’s trying to fight a bull that you don’t have the power to beat. The bull is strong there. Shoot, treat. See, see, see, he shot when he was hurt. He didn’t shoot when he was fresh,” ‘DJ’ added.

With his latest defeat, Paddy Pimblett lost his chance to challenge Ilia Topuria for the title. Even though he knew the threat Gaethje posed, the Scouser failed to adapt and struggled to find answers as the fight turned chaotic.

But he didn’t make just one mistake. Before the fight, his mercurial, outspoken nature already hinted at trouble. Once again, Justin Gaethje handed the Scouser a harsh reality check.

Paddy Pimblett learns a tough lesson in the Octagon at UFC 324

Heading into UFC 324, Paddy Pimblett made big promises and bold claims. However, much of what he did disrespected veterans like Dustin Poirier, which Justin Gaethje had already called out. Despite that, the Scouser walked into the Octagon as the main event, full of confidence.

In reality, he had never faced competition as tough as Gaethje or Poirier in his UFC career. His recent wins came against opponents who were past their prime or washed up, while the elite level was still ahead. As a result, UFC 324 exposed how his confidence turned into overconfidence, and Gaethje highlighted this during the post-fight press conference.

“You have to learn these lessons. But again, his mindset going into that fight was not good. You cannot do that. You cannot approach this sport like that. False confidence is terrible. Terrible. It’ll kill you every time, and that’s what he had…. I loved everything coming out of his mouth because you cannot approach this sport like that. He’ll learn,” said Justin Gaethje at the UFC 324 post-fight presser.

Now, back to the drawing board. Do you think the UFC really pushed Paddy Pimblett to the title, as some are calling a “fraud check”? After Justin Gaethje handed ‘the Baddy’ the loss, was he ever truly that good? Drop your thoughts below.