On the opening night of the UFC on Paramount+, the crowd at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and the millions watching from home were treated to one of the best brawls in recent memory during the main event.
Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett went to battle for the interim UFC Lightweight championship, throwing blows throughout the five five-minute rounds. Although Pimblett went down early and appeared as if this showdown could be done after only a few minutes, he showed the heart of a champion, repaying every knock sent his way back towards the more experienced foe.
After five rounds of mayhem with both fighters wildly throwing strikes, knees, leg kicks, and even spinning backfists at one another, the two embraced in the middle of the octagon with no definitive winner.
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Even though Pimblett rebounded in the fourth round after being bloodied and bruised by Gaethje, the damage and repeated knockdowns were too much to overcome as all three judges favored the American brawler.
Dave Portnoy, Barstool Sports’ founder and president, chimed in on the match, praising the all-out slugfest, but pointing out a critical no-call that could have swung the fight.
Earlier in the contest, Gaethje was warned following a poke to Pimblett’s eye. Not too long after, pushing Pimblett along the cage, another errant finger jabbed the Liverpool native in the retina. Stunned, Pimblett looked bewildered before getting hammered with repeated shots that forced him to crumple to the ground.
Longtime UFC referee Marc Goddard had said that if Gaethje had any more illegal strikes to the eye, it would have been an immediate point reduction.
Instead, Pimblett took possibly the most damage he received the entire fight in the aftermath of the second poke, leading to what turned out to be a terror of a third round where he was battered around the octagon.
Pimblett is a former Barstool Sports employee and remains close to Portnoy even after his separation from the company.
Portnoy is asking for a rematch between the two to settle the score following the exciting main event.
And after what they delivered, no one would argue against it.
Now interim champion, it sets up a future main event unification fight against undefeated two-division world champion and knockout artist Ilia Topuria.
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