Gaethje wins interim LW belt, next for Topuria

Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 324 to claim the interim lightweight championship for the second time in his career. With this victory, Gaethje has been positioned as the #1 contender and is now next in line to challenge undisputed lightweight titleholder Ilia Topuria whenever 'El Matador' returns to competition this year. The win bumped Arman Tsarukyan down to #2 in the rankings, while Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway also dropped one spot each to #3 and #4 respectively. This result sets up a significant title unification bout that could determine the division's future direction.