Justin Gaethje has made it clear that a second fight with Paddy Pimblett is not on his radar, even after Pimblett’s big win at UFC 329.
Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event of UFC 329 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas this past Saturday, improving his record to 24-4 in MMA and 8-1 in the UFC. The victory marked Pimblett’s rebound from an interim lightweight title loss to Gaethje.
Asked about the possibility of running it back, Gaethje dismissed the idea. "Destined for each other, like, to fight again? No. No, no, no," he said.
Gaethje, who owns a 28-5 MMA record and an 11-5 mark in the UFC, defeated Pimblett in January and went on to dethrone Ilia Topuria at UFC Freedom 250 in June. He does not plan on fighting again this year.
The former interim champion also reflected on how his career has impacted fellow athletes. "I think it's crazy what my story has done for so many people. Rafael Fiziev, a guy I fought two times, says a very similar thing that I kind of rejuvenated him when I won that fight. Him losing two times to me, having been in there with me two times kind of rejuvenated him."
Gaethje added that the respect extends beyond MMA. "Anthony Joshua, I just saw him talking about how you can never forget how real fighting is, and how dangerous it is and never becoming too full of yourself. He learned that from that lesson. It's pretty cool how across the board, all athletes respect our sport because it's so humbling, so primal. It's one-on-one."
