Merab Dvalishvili Gives His Take on Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett, Insists Ilia Topuria Beats Both Easily
Reigning UFC bantamweight kingpin Merab Dvalishvili has given his thoughts on how the UFC 324 headliner featuring Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett could play out.
The Gaethje vs. Pimblett bout for the interim lightweight strap will headline UFC 324 on Jan 24, 2026, when the UFC debuts on Paramount+.
Dvalishvili, during a sit-down with UFC on TNT Sports, gave his assessment on how he sees this fight going. While ‘The Machine’ favors ‘The Highlight’ considering both fighters remain standing, and the bout is a striking fest, the Georgian also thinks that if the fight goes to the ground, Pimblett has a higher chance of winning with his superior jiu-jitsu skillset. He said:
It’s going to be an interesting fight because we know Paddy Pimblett, he does more jiu-jitsu grappling. If they go striking, I think Justin will beat him, but if they try more grappling, then Paddy has got this… Both can win.”
Dvalishvili, however, thinks no matter who wins the interim title fight, both Gaethje and Pimblett stand no chance against Topuria when it comes to unifying the belt later this year. He added:
“They have no chance against Ilia. Either Paddy or Justin. Ilia is a very big champion, he hits hard, and also he is a good wrestler, has good jiu-jitsu.”
Check out Merab Dvalishvili’s comments below:
Paddy Pimblett gets knocked out but wins hearts
Donning red boxing gloves on December 3, Paddy Pimblett participated in a charity exhibition match. ‘The Baddy’ fought George Goetzee, a boxer with Down syndrome who goes by the nickname ‘The Real GGG.’
In clips now going viral, Pimblett is shown being playfully knocked out by ‘The Real GGG.’ After the loss, the UFC fighter cheerfully carried his opponent on his shoulders. Fans adored this gesture, and many praised Pimblett on social media.
Check out Paddy Pimblett getting knocked out in the post below:
