Justin Gaethje explains why Paddy Pimblett would have won if he dropped ‘genius’ game plan

Saturday’s main event, the first title fight of the Paramount+ era, left a strong early impression.

Justin Gaethje claimed a unanimous decision over Paddy Pimblett on January 24 to become a two-time interim lightweight champion.

Pimblett had some tough moments but managed to see out all five rounds.

The main event earned Gaethje a record-equalling 10th Fight of the Night bonus.

While many saw it as an entertaining match-up, not everyone was impressed with what unfolded in the Octagon.

Justin Gaethje responds to criticism of his UFC 324 performance

Some of Gaethje’s peers were not impressed with the fight, pointing to how often it devolved into a wild exchange rather than a technical contest.

Pimblett edged out the striking numbers, landing 156 significant strikes to the 37-year-old’s 144, and both fighters combined for an impressive total of 300.

The Liverpool native took some heavy shots but held up well, while Gaethje’s approach was noticeably more aggressive than in recent fights.

A specific point of discussion was that his fighting style differed from his two previous full-distance bouts against Rafael Fiziev.

Reflecting on his latest win, ‘The Highlight’ discussed this topic on the What Hones You Show.

He expressed frustration over the negativity surrounding his performance and career position after adopting this fighting style to counter his opponent.

“How can you not understand that I’m fighting a different style of fight?” the American fighter questioned.

“Styles make matchups and that was the style I had to commit to in this fight. I mean, this kid is funky, he throws a lot of volume. He throws hard shots and if I would have fought him like I did Fiziev, I would have got outpointed. So, this fight I fought in a forward style and it worked from the first second on.”

He went on to say that avoiding kicks – one of his usual strengths – was also intentional. He believed it helped prevent easy takedowns and called it “f—— genius”.

Justin Gaethje explains why his game plan could become the blueprint against Paddy Pimblett

Gaethje did not hide his strategy after the fight, making it clear he wanted to keep the pressure on Pimblett from start to finish.

During his appearance on What Hones You Show, the interim lightweight champion said he expects other fighters will need a similar approach when they come up against ‘The Baddy.’

While Dan Hooker recently suggested that Pimblett might not stick around in the sport much longer, Gaethje has a very different view.

“He’s going to be a problem. He’s very awkward, you’re going to have to fight him a certain way. If you try to hang out and out point him, he’s going to beat you. He’s throwing s— from the funkiest angles at the craziest times and the only way is to put your head on his chest. You have to push him back,” he explained.