The margin for error at UFC 324 will not be measured in punches or takedowns. It will be measured on a scale. Because before Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett can settle anything inside the Octagon, one rule threatens to decide the interim lightweight title fight before the cage door even closes.

This Sunday, January 25, in Las Vegas, Paddy Pimblett steps into the biggest fight of his UFC career. After seven straight wins inside the Octagon, the Liverpool native is competing for his first interim lightweight title.

Across from him stands Justin Gaethje, a former interim champion who captured gold in 2020 and later tested himself against the division’s elite, including Khabib Nurmagomedov and Charles Oliveira. However, the title opportunity comes with a non-negotiable condition. Both fighters must weigh 155 pounds or less at Friday’s official weigh-in. There is no allowance. There is no grace pound. One slip on the scale changes the stakes immediately.

Unlike standard lightweight fights, which allow competitors to weigh in at 156 pounds, title bouts offer zero margin. That one-pound buffer disappears entirely. Pimblett benefited from that allowance during his previous fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in spring 2025. This week, that safety net is gone.

If either fighter misses weight, the bout still happens. The belt does not. Only the fighter who makes weight remains eligible to leave Las Vegas as the interim champion.

The UFC has enforced this rule before, and the precedent is unforgiving. In 2022, Charles Oliveira missed weight by half a pound ahead of his title fight against Gaethje. Oliveira went on to win the fight. The belt was still taken away. He was ruled ineligible to reclaim the championship despite the victory.

That same outcome applies here. A win alone is not enough. The scale decides eligibility. For Pimblett, that reality carries added pressure because weight has long been part of his public narrative.

Paddy Pimblett’s relationship with food and weight cuts has followed him throughout his career. Yet his UFC record tells a disciplined story when it matters most. Since joining the promotion in 2021, Pimblett has successfully made weight in every UFC appearance. Seven fights. Seven clean weigh-ins.

That consistency did not always exist earlier in his career. During his time in Cage Warriors, Pimblett missed weight twice. Those moments remain part of his history, even as his UFC resume shows improvement. Still, the timing of UFC 324 has complicated the process.

The January fight left no room for holidays, downtime, or recovery. Pimblett has been open about how brutal the cut has been this time. “I’m never, ever fighting in January or February ever again. I just hope everyone at the UFC knows that, because it ruined my Christmas, ruined my birthday, so I’ll never be fighting this early in the year again.”

What should have been family time became another extended training camp. The weight cut turned the calendar into an added opponent. At the same time, Pimblett has shown no hesitation in embracing the moment.

Pimblett Turns From Calm to Confrontational

As fight week progressed, Pimblett’s tone shifted. What began as quiet confidence turned into confrontation once the interim belt was officially on the line. Responding to Gaethje’s promise of doing “violent things” to him, Pimblett fired back without restraint.

“He won’t be physically the same after this fight. I will be exactly the same. I am going to put a beatdown on him like he has never received. Can promise you that.” The message was clear. Pimblett believes his durability and recovery will outlast Gaethje’s trademark aggression.

He also questioned how committed Gaethje truly was to the matchup before the belt entered the picture. “But it was just another fight to me. When a contract with a name gets sent to me, I sign it. I don’t turn down no fight. I thought I was going to fight Justin in October in Abu Dhabi, but I think he turned it down.”

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Pimblett suggested the title itself changed Gaethje’s decision. “Now there’s a belt on the line. He’s taken the fight.” Whether that claim holds weight or not, the rivalry now carries genuine edge. At UFC 324, skill alone will not crown a champion.

The weigh-in comes first. The rule is absolute. The consequences are proven. If both fighters hit 155 pounds, the interim lightweight title will be decided by violence inside the cage. If one misses, the belt becomes unattainable, no matter how dominant the performance.

For Pimblett, the fight represents validation. For Gaethje, it is another chance at gold. Before either can claim it, the scale gets its say.