Gaethje Earns Title Shot After Pimblett Win at UFC 324

Following his unanimous decision win over Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 to claim the interim lightweight title, Justin Gaethje has risen to #1 in the lightweight rankings, positioning him as the next challenger for undisputed champion Ilia Topuria. The rankings update, the first of 2026, also bumped Arman Tsarukyan to #2, with Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway dropping to #3 and #4. This sets up a massive lightweight title unification bout whenever Topuria returns. Gaethje's second interim title win underscores his resilience in a stacked division.