Justin Gaethje made his intentions clear at the UFC 324 pre-fight press conference on Thursday, promising to dominate Paddy Pimblett after the Liverpool fighter criticized Dustin Poirier's retirement bout performance.
Justin Gaethje Looks to Dog Walk Paddy Pimblett a UFC 324
The 37-year-old American took exception to Pimblett's recent comments about Poirier looking like "dog s***" against Max Holloway at UFC 318 last July. Gaethje defended his former rival during the press event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, accusing Pimblett of disrespecting one of the sport's established figures.
"No, I love it. This guy, I love everything he's been saying. He definitely sounds overconfident. He's out here disrespecting legends like Dustin Poirier. I'm going to dog walk this English [expletive] on Saturday. Watch," Gaethje said.
The former interim lightweight champion added that his competitive fire remains at full strength despite approaching what he has described as the final chapter of his career. Gaethje holds a 26-5 professional record and has earned 14 post-fight bonuses during his UFC run.
"I'm still in it – legends are retired, I ain't retired yet. I'm still in it. The fire is still as bright and as hot as it's ever been and I cannot wait to fight this guy. I constantly am building momentum and this is a battle of momentum, and I said I'm going to dog walk this [expletive] if he lasts that long," Gaethje stated.
Pimblett attempted to clarify his remarks during the press conference, explaining that Poirier had never spoken positively about him, which justified his honest assessment of the Holloway fight. The 30-year-old stands at 23-3 with seven consecutive UFC victories, including a third-round TKO of Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April that propelled him into the lightweight top five.
When Pimblett defended his position, Gaethje quickly responded that the British fighter would fare no better against Holloway.
The fighters will compete for the interim lightweight title on Saturday, January 24, at T-Mobile Arena after champion Ilia Topuria announced he would not fight in the first quarter of 2026 due to personal circumstances. The winner is expected to face Topuria later this year to unify the championship.
Gaethje outlined his tactical approach for the matchup, stating he plans to apply sustained pressure to neutralize Pimblett's reach advantage. "I think I need to fight smart. At the highest level you cannot make mistakes. If you watch all the champions, they're moving forward. I'm going to move forward and I'm going to be in his chest. I'm going to put my head in his chest. He's got really long arms – it's going to be hard to hit me when my head's in his chest."