Amid tensions in Ilia Topuria’s personal life, Justin Gaethje is all set to headline UFC’s first PPV of 2026 against Paddy Pimblett with the Interim Lightweight Title on the line. While Ilia Topuria will face the winner to unify the belts, he has made his intentions clear to face Pimblett for the undisputed championship. However, ‘The Highlight’ has now received support from his former rival, Michael Chandler, who wants Gaethje to win beyond just UFC 324.

“I am a Gaethje guy. But I have also been on record saying Ilia Topuria is the most skilled fighter in the UFC on the planet right now. He’s dealing with some personal issues, he’s gonna step away for a little while, but man, if you’re rooting for a guy who’s been at it forever, you’re rooting for a guy you want to see get gold in the end. It’s Justin Gaethje all day,” Chandler said when asked to pick between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje in an interview with ESPN MMA.

Michael Chandler’s statements demonstrate the mutual respect shared between him and Gaethje. While the two had a heated argument leading to their UFC 268 encounter, they mended ties after the match. ‘Iron’ called Topuria the most gifted fighter in the UFC, but still picked Gaethje over ‘El Matador.’

While Chandler has faced both Gaethje and Pimblett, it is evident from his statements that he sees ‘The Highlight’ winning the Interim Title. However, for the former BMF Champion, the betting odds (-230 for Pimblett, +190 for Gaethje) are against him. Even though the Englishman hasn’t faced anyone from the top 5 lightweights, he has an undefeated 7-0 record in the UFC, with 5 of them coming via TKO or submission.

‘El Matador’, on the other hand, is facing an ongoing legal dispute with his wife. In a recent public statement outside the court, Topuria stated that he expects to reunite with his daughter soon. Until the court battle is resolved, the Georgian fighter has stepped out of the Octagon, forcing the UFC to book the UFC 324 main event between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.

In his UFC career, Gaethje has struggled against fighters who have mixed striking with grappling skills, including Charles Oliveira and Khabib Nurmagomedov. Pimblett, a second-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has showcased those exact grappling skills throughout his 7-fight UFC career. However, as per ‘The Highlight’, he is aware of the threat and has trained in jiu-jitsu since his UFC 274 loss to Oliveira. With that said, his championship fight experience increases his chances against Pimblett.

But as ‘The Highlight’ prepares for his big opportunity, his recent post had fans concerned about the UFC 324 main event.

Justin Gaethje gives an update on fans’ concerns

The UFC community recently had a minor scare over some photos and videos shared from Justin Gaethje’s training camp, as they saw a mark on the back of his neck. Many of them speculated that it was a staph infection and doubted Gaethje’s availability for the big match. They also called for Arman Tsarukyan to be next if ‘The Highlight’ was out of the UFC 324 main event.

Justin Gaethje, however, took to his official X account to put an end to all the rumors, writing, “It’s an ingrown hair on my neck and brisket hanging out of my mouth, Nostradamus.”

For the 37-year-old fighter, this might be his last chance to win the undisputed title. In his decade-long MMA career, he held the Interim Lightweight championship once, but he never won the undisputed championship.

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Along with his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, Gaethje has worked hard to secure the title shot, even threatening Dana White at one stage that he might retire if not given a title shot. Now, as he gets what he wanted, he needs to make it work, unlike his former opponent Dustin Poirier, who ended his career without any undisputed gold.

“This is my last chance. And this opportunity to finish my career the way I want is everything I could ask for. I fight Paddy for the interim championship, win that, and then I get to fight Ilia. He, right now, is the baddest man in my division, and some consider across the board. So, what an opportunity to finish this career exactly how I’ve fought the whole time,” he said on his YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, the current Undisputed Lightweight champion suggested that the UFC might plan things differently if Gaethje wins the title. In that case, fans could potentially get to see a super-fight between Topuria and Islam Makhachev. What do you think about the rumors? Give your thoughts below.