Justin Gaethje wants to surprise Pimblett at UFC 324

Justin Gaethje wants to surprise Paddy Pimblett when he fights for the interim lightweight division belt at UFC 324.

Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will meet in a bout that will determine the interim UFC champion in the up to 70 kilogram category. The clash between the American and the Englishman is expected to fill the void in the absence of Ilia Topuria.

Highlight and Baddy will face each other on January 24 at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. A big press conference promoting the event was held recently, and above that both fighters gave many interviews. Justin Gaethje unsurprisingly talked a lot about grappling.

Justin Gaethje mentioned the duel with Charles Oliveira, as well as the fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The American clearly emphasized that he worked hard on the first floor.

– People who remember my biggest fights against elite grapplers know that I had problems. However, Charles Oliveira went down to the first floor after he hit me with a fist and I squatted after being hit. Khabib was just a completely different puzzle. Any way you look at it, he’s a great grappler, but since the fight with Charles Oliveira I’ve been working hard, really hard, on my ju-jitsu. I started to enjoy it definitely more than before.

Justin Gaethje continued to speak, making it clear that MMA is such a crazy sport that he could surprise Pimblett with a submission.

– Look, I won’t look for grappling, but I have no problem in that department. My skill in defending an overthrow is unsurpassed. So he will have to violate me with punches, kicks and knees, and only after that will his chances of success increase. This is such a crazy game that you won’t predict anything…. Or will I be the one to submit him? The odds on that must be a million to one!

Gaethje also assessed the stand-up skills of his closest rival, noting that so far no strong fighter has tried to impose pressure in a clash with Baddy.

– I rate his striking skills at 7 or 8. He puts a lot of force into every punch. If he hits you, you have a problem without question. He is constantly pushing forward. That’s a big part of his game, and with his punches he gets to the clinch, from where he can bring you down. So I have to create the right space from where I move with my punches. I always say that I create collisions. I want to be the first to move to the forefront with more power, which I will do by controlling his movement and driving him into dangerous positions.