Justin Gaethje prevailed over England’s Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision to claim the UFC interim lightweight championship in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
The bout was a five-round war, with the American just getting the nod from the judges 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46.
The first round saw Gaethje take Pimblett down early, but the Brit withstood the onslaught to regain his footing before an accidental eye poke to Pimblett saw the ring doctor enter the octagon.
Pimblett was deemed fit to resume, and the fighters did just that, trading standing blows throughout the next two rounds.
Gaethje had Pimblett on the ropes multiple times in round four, but the Brit refused to give in and landed a flurry of his own in the later stages to ensure a thrilling final round.
The American fighter again took the early advantage with multiple hard strikes before Pimblett shifted his strategy with repeated attempts to take Gaethje down.
Gaethje managed to stay on his feet but appeared to look tired as the clock wound down, giving Pimblett a window to go for a last-gasp knockout.
He was ultimately unable to land the finishing blow however, and the two men embraced after the bell.
After his defeat, Pimblett insisted he would be back. "I wanted to be walking away with that belt. I know how tough I am and I don't need to prove that to anyone," he said. "There is no man I'd rather lose to than [Gaethje]. He is someone I loved watching growing up and it shows why he is a legend.
"I think 48-47 was a fair scorecard. I won't lie, he hit me with a body shot in the first round and it got me. I thought I was winning the round up to that point. You live and you learn; I'm 31, I will be back better. You haven't seen the last of me."
In beating Pimblett, Gaethje became the first fighter in UFC history to be a two-time interim champion. Add that to the symbolic BFM belt the American won in 2023, and he can boast one of the best lightweight resumes of all time. He is now in line for a third crack at the undisputed title against champion Ilia Topuria.
Gaethje said: "I told [Pimblett] just then, I was just where you were at not too long ago. It is a crazy sport and an amazing life. I am so thankful to share it with you guys and I thank god every day for my parents. I hope you parents out there can be like my parents, leading by example."
He added: "My coach was definitely upset at me after the first round, but I just love this so much, it's really hard to control myself sometimes. I knew I had to put him on his back foot, he is very dangerous and has great timing. I had to steal his momentum and confidence.
"I went away from the game plan by trying to kill him as usual. The shots that hurt him were the ones I didn't even know I was hitting him with. I should trust my coach, he has such a great game plan."
