Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision in the UFC 324 main event to claim the interim lightweight championship for the second time. This victory propelled Gaethje to #1 in the lightweight rankings, displacing Arman Tsarukyan to #2, with Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway dropping to #3 and #4. Ilia Topuria remains the undisputed lightweight champion. The win positions Gaethje as the next challenger for Topuria's title. This reshapes the lightweight division, setting up a high-stakes unification bout later in 2026.
Reports indicate that Justin Gaethje has claimed the interim lightweight championship for the second time in his career, defeating Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision in the UFC 324 main event. The result, which has not been officially confirmed, would position Gaethje as the mandatory challenger for undisputed champion Ilia Topuria, with a unification bout potentially targeted for later in 2026.
Gaethje's reported victory reshuffles the lightweight rankings, pushing him to the number-one contender spot while displacing Arman Tsarukyan to second. Charles Oliveira, the Brazilian veteran fighting out of Chute Boxe Diego Lima, now sits third at 37-11-0. The 36-year-old southpaw threat averages 2.6 submission attempts per 15 minutes and adds consistent wrestling pressure at 2.22 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him one of the most complete fighters in a stacked division. Max Holloway, ranked fourth at 27-9-0, rounds out the top four. The Hawaiian stands five-foot-eleven with a 69-inch reach and produces a staggering 7.2 significant strikes per minute, the highest volume in this group by a wide margin.
Sitting above them all is undisputed champion Ilia Topuria. The unbeaten Spaniard carries a 17-1-0 record and holds the number-one pound-for-pound ranking at just 29 years old. Topuria lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and mixes in nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes, reinforcing his reputation as a well-rounded finisher.
Why it matters
- A Gaethje-Topuria unification would pit an aggressive pressure fighter against the pound-for-pound top dog
- Oliveira and Holloway remain within striking distance of a title shot should negotiations stall
- The divisional shake-up leaves Tsarukyan, Oliveira, and Holloway all jockeying for position behind one interim belt and one undisputed champion
