'Cherry-picked' or deserving? Why Pimblett got UFC title shot

Paddy Pimblett has won 23 of his 26 professional fights

Paddy Pimblett has predicted he will become a UFC champion from the moment he debuted in the promotion in 2021, but not everyone believed it could happen - until now.

With lightweight champion Ilia Topuria saying he will not fight in the first quarter of 2026 because of problems in his personal life, the UFC has made an interim title bout between Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.

The pair will fight for the belt in the headline bout at UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 24 January.

The speed at which Liverpool's Pimblett has been given a title shot has taken some by surprise, with New Zealand lightweight Dan Hooker saying the 30-year-old has been "cherry-picked" for the opportunity.

The 30-year-old is ranked fifth in the UFC's lightweight division but does not have wins against any fighters in the top 10.

Although there is some substance to Hooker's view, the broader picture gives more insight as to why Pimblett has been chosen over other viable contenders.

'One of the UFC's most popular fighters'

The overarching reason as to why Pimblett has been granted the opportunity is because although MMA is a sport, the UFC is a business.

Businesses want to make money and the UFC does that by getting fans to pay to watch the fights it stages.

The more entertaining the bouts and the fighters, the more people pay and the more money UFC makes.

UFC 324 will kick off the UFC's new broadcast partnership with US giant Paramount+, which may have also influenced the decision to put one of their biggest stars at the top of the card.

Pimblett's lively personality and passionate speeches about men's mental health have seen him blossom into one of the UFC's most popular fighters.

But it is not only about Pimblett's personality - his work inside the octagon is also exciting.

Since his debut four years ago, Pimblett has won all seven of his fights while finishing five of his opponents.

Two of those have come via knockout and three by submission, demonstrating his all-round game.

His last performance in March against former title challenge Michael Chandler was Pimblett's most impressive showing yet, where he outclassed the American on the feet and the ground.

UFC commentator Jon Anik welcomed Pimblett to "the elite" after that win, which has seen him rise into the UFC's lightweight top five.

There are critics who point to Pimblett's match-ups as being favourable towards the Briton, with wins over Chandler, Tony Ferguson and Bobby Green coming towards the end of their careers.

Chandler was 38 when Pimblett won, Ferguson was 39 for their bout in 2023 and Green was 37 the following the year.

But Pimblett points to "goalposts being moved", adding fans and pundits are always looking for the next reason to criticise him.

What about fighters ranked above Pimblett?

Apart from Armenia's Arman Tsarukyan, there are not many other standout contenders who the UFC could have put in an interim lightweight title bout.

Tsarukyan, who is first in the lightweight rankings and beat sixth-ranked Hooker at UFC Qatar last week, can feel hard done by to be pipped by Pimblett and Gaethje.

He has won 10 of 12 UFC fights, with five of them coming by stoppage, and is on a five-fight win streak.

With the winner of Pimblett and Gaethje likely to face Topuria when the Georgian-Spaniard returns, it leaves Tsarukyan out in the cold for an extended period.

After the bout was announced, the 29-year-old wrote "make it make sense" on X.

Gaethje has been chosen as Pimblett's opponent because of his pedigree, as well as his exciting fighting style.

The 37-year-old American has won nine of 14 UFC bouts since making his debut in 2017, with six of them coming via knockout.

He also threatened to retire if he was passed over for a title shot.

Gaethje is seventh on the all-time list for fight night bonuses, with 14 - a record that is based on his entertaining, aggressive style.

The other contenders include former champion Charles Oliveira, who is ranked second, and third-placed former featherweight champion Max Holloway.

Both will be inducted to the UFC Hall of Fame in the future and are two of the most respected athletes on the roster, but they have already been knocked out in convincing fashion by Topuria.

Perhaps the UFC has chosen Pimblett to breathe new life into the title picture, should he beat Gaethje.

Pimblett also has history with Topuria, with the pair clashing at a hotel before UFC London in 2022, making a bout between the pair a mouthwatering prospect.

Gaethje will provide the toughest test of Pimblett's 26-fight career but should the Liverpudlian win, he will become the second British interim champion after Tom Aspinall in 2023.

Only three Britons have claimed undisputed UFC titles - Michael Bisping (2016), Leon Edwards (2022) and Tom Aspinall (2023).

A unification bout with Topuria would go down as one of the biggest fights involving a Briton in UFC history - and would give Pimblett the chance to make true on his long-standing prediction.