Dustin Poirier was not surprised when the UFC selected Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje to headline the first fight card of the Paramount Plus era this weekend.
Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Gaethje (24-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) are set to face off for the UFC interim lightweight title in the main event of </iframe>" target="_blank">UFC 324 this Saturday, marking the debut of the promotion’s new broadcast deal at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
With undisputed lightweight champion Ilia Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) and No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) widely regarded as the division’s top two fighters, the decision to contest this bout for an interim title has sparked some controversy. However, former interim title challenger Poirier is not overly concerned with that narrative.
“Anytime they announce fights and stuff like that, I'm never surprised anymore,” Poirier told </iframe>" target="_blank">Ariel Helwani on Monday. “Sometimes I'm like, ‘I didn't see that coming,’ but I'm not blown away by these announcements because we never know, man. The last few years, we've seen crazy things happen. But it's a fun fight.”
Pimblett is riding a 9-fight winning streak into this bout, and with 37-year-old Gaethje having suffered a catastrophic knockout loss at the hands of Max Holloway in his second-to-last appearance, the bookmakers have earmarked “The Baddy” as a strong favorite to emerge victorious this weekend.
Poirier, who suffered a headkick knockout loss at the hands of Gaethje in a BMF title fight back in 2023, is swimming against the tide and believes “The Highlight” may have the edge over Pimblett as far as experience in championship fights is concerned.
“I'm leaning towards Justin,” Poirier replied when asked for a prediction. “But we'll see. I just think he's been in those 25-minute fights. He's been in dogfights before. I think Paddy's going to have a tough time stopping him on the feet. And I don't think Paddy's going to be able to get him down, so he's going to have to fight with him.
“Unless Paddy can stay super disciplined for 25 minutes, stay at distance, pick his shots. Justin's just a bigger puncher and he'll put himself in harm's way to land one of those shots. And it is tough to stay away from it for 25 minutes.”
A large portion of the fanbase have been critical of the UFC’s decision to insert Pimblett in the title picture at 155 pounds. The Liverpudlian reeled off a trio of victories against veterans such as Tony Ferguson, King Green and Michael Chandler en route to earning this fight against Gaethje, and Poirier insists that the lack of a real test against a fellow contender means Pimblett cannot be regarded as a legitimate threat to the lightweight crown just yet.
“I mean, he's definitely a legit fighter,” Poirier said. “He's a good fighter, but... I haven't seen him beat (anyone of note). If he beats Justin, I'm a believer then.”
