Paddy Pimblett believes the UFC should have deducted points from Justin Gaethje for repeated fouls, which could have turned their fight into a draw. The fan favorite suffered his first loss since joining the sport’s biggest promotion last month when Gaethje, a perennial contender, edged him out at UFC 324. All three judges scored the bout for Gaethje, with two giving him a wide 49-46 victory. Pimblett insists the fight was closer than the scorecards suggested and claims repeated eye pokes deserved a point deduction that would have made the result a draw.
Pimblett insists the fight was closer than the scorecards suggest
After watching the fight for the first time on a large television at home, Pimblett says his personal scorecard shows he won rounds three and five. He shared a YouTube video on Sunday detailing his reactions and explained, “If he got a point took off like he should have, that’s a draw… I don’t want to sound bitter, you can’t cry over spilt milk.” He even joked that he now understands how Jared Gordon felt after their December 2022 bout, where many argued the American did enough to win. Pimblett previously defended the scorecards from that fight but says his perspective has softened with time.
“I knew the scorecards weren’t going to be in our favor, that’s why I did the little ‘I don’t know’ gesture to my mum,” he said. “I half knew I’d lost, but you can see my eyes bright red. I heard 49-46 and I knew they all should have been 48-47.”
Pimblett shows respect to Gaethje and his team
Despite his complaints, Pimblett praised Gaethje, his family, and his team. The former BMF champion was joined in the cage by his family, manager Ali Abdelaziz, and legendary ex-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. “Usman came over and told me what I’d been doing to stay in the fight,” Pimblett recalled. “Ali spoke to me, and everyone with him was dead nice and good sports.”
He added, “Usman said I’ll come back better from this, and I know I will. To hear that from someone like Usman, after fighting a legend like Gaethje, it means a lot. Usman himself is one of the greatest welterweights of all time.” Pimblett concluded confidently, “I know I’m going to be a world champion; it’s just going to happen a little later than expected.”
