Justin Gaethje dismissed Paddy Pimblett's recent verbal challenges and questioned the Liverpool fighter's readiness for the championship distance as the two prepare to meet for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on January 24 in Las Vegas.
Speaking at Wednesday's pre-fight press conference, Gaethje remained unfazed by Pimblett's promise to deliver a beating unlike any the veteran has experienced. The former BMF champion instead pointed to a critical difference between the two fighters heading into their main event clash at T-Mobile Arena.
"I certainly take nothing from those comments. It's 25 minutes in time right now; what he's saying right now does not matter," Gaethje said. "All it tells me is hopefully he's going to be overconfident, and the last thing you can do in this sport is have a false confidence. He'd be crazy not to know that I'm one of the most dangerous guys he's ever fought."
Justin Gaethje Questions Paddy Pimblett's Five-Round Readiness Ahead of UFC 324
The 37-year-old emphasized the experience gap when it comes to five-round contests, a format Pimblett has never encountered in the UFC. Gaethje noted he has been scheduled for championship-distance fights at least 20 times throughout his career, including multiple five-round title bouts during his undefeated World Series of Fighting run and seven five-round UFC appearances.
"I've been scheduled for a five-round fight at least 20 times in my career. It's a different ball game," Gaethje explained. "I want to take him to the fourth and fifth round. I want to do the same thing I've done before – turn his face into minced meat. I've done it to higher-caliber fighters, but this guy has a lot of momentum and confidence, and those are some of the most dangerous variables I'll be facing."
Gaethje elaborated on how the extended format changes preparation, particularly for fighters without that experience. "You don't know what you don't know. He hasn't been there," he continued. "Out of my 26 or 31 fights, I've been scheduled for at least 20 five-rounders. It's different training, different mindset, different tactics. I train at elevation – if I'm tired, I know they're really tired. He's going to be exhausted when we get to those rounds."
The former interim champion referenced his recent three-round battles as evidence of his championship conditioning advantages. "You watch my three-round fights – Michael Chandler, Rafael Fiziev – those were close fights on paper, but if they went to the fourth and fifth round, I would have hurt them very badly," Gaethje said. "That's what I'm hoping I can do this Saturday."
Pimblett, who holds a perfect 7-0 UFC record, has only competed in five-round fights three times during his Cage Warriors tenure, losing two of those contests. The 30-year-old from Liverpool has never been past the third round in his UFC career.
Despite recognizing Pimblett as a legitimate threat, Gaethje maintained confidence in his ability to expose the durability and conditioning questions that come with championship rounds. "I think he's really good. This sport is crazy – anything can happen at any moment," Gaethje acknowledged.
"All the people that have those opinions, that say the guys he beat were over the hill or past their prime, they've never taken the risk that we take. A bunch of cowards that just like to talk. I don't care what people say about him. I know that he's dangerous, I know that he's confident, and those are two huge variables. It's a constant battle for momentum and I'm going to have to take it early and keep it."
When asked about Pimblett's claim that "Scousers don't get knocked out," Gaethje offered a clinical response that underscored his finishing pedigree of 20 career knockouts. "You don't have to be a doctor to know that if you have a brain, you can get shut off if I just shake it. I'll show him – if I can shake his head and make his brain touch his skull, he's going to go to sleep," he stated.
"The only thing that appeals to me right now is knocking a Scouser out and representing America. That's what I'm here to do… whatever a Scouser is."
