Outside Source
During the Thursday NFL broadcast of the Kansas City Chiefs vs. the Dallas Cowboys on CBS, the promotion announced a slew of new matchups for upcoming events on the Paramount platforms. Chief among the breaking news followed Ilia Topuria’s earlier statement today of his plans on taking some time off. To vie for the interim crown, the UFC matched Justin Gaethje (26-5) against Paddy Pimblett (23-3), with the pairing to headline UFC 324 on Jan. 24. This card held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will serve as the first under the UFC-Paramount deal set to last seven years.
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Topuria’s statement recommended that the organization move on for now, and that he will be back later to pick up where he left off. He will not be stripped of his belt, likely guaranteeing he will face the winner of Gaethje vs. Pimblett later this year.
“I won’t be fighting in the first quarter of next year,” wrote Topuria. “I’m going through a difficult moment in my personal life. I want to focus on my children and resolve this situation as soon as possible. I don’t want to hold up the division. The UFC will make the matchups needed, and as soon as the matters are resolved I’ll let the UFC know I’m ready to begin my return.”
One-Sided Press Conference
Since his first appearance in the UFC—and before as World Series of Fighting champ—Gaethje has been appointment viewing. “The Highlight” has racked up an unprecedented 13 post-fight bonuses after only 14 walks to the UFC cage thus far. The Arizona native previously won the interim strap against Tony Ferguson in 2020, only to lose the unification match against Khabib Nurmagomedov six months later. In his last time out, Gaethje duked it out in a rematch with Rafael Fiziev, winning on the scorecards.
“The Baddy” has stormed onto the scene with seven victories across seven starts in the promotion thus far. The ex-Cage Warriors featherweight king relocated to lightweight and has climbed the ladder in the UFC. The last three triumphs for Pimblett came against Tony Ferguson, Bobby Green and Michael Chandler, with finishes accounting for the last two.
UFC chief Dana White added in a statement as part of the press release, stating, “I am so excited for UFC fans that our first card has six current or former champions, including the long-awaited return of the greatest female fighter of all time–which is definitely the biggest women’s fight ever. Also, in the main event we have Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title to see who will face Ilia Topuria later this year on Paramount+. This card is absolutely stacked–every fight is a must-see. This deal is such a huge win for fans with no more pay-per-view,. I look forward to 2026 being our best year ever.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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