Gaethie Says He Could Have Submitted Paddy Pimblett, Believes Wrestling Is Underrated

Justin Gaethje is making clear he is more than a brawler, insisting in a recent interview that his wrestling credentials are routinely overlooked and that he had a submission victory over Paddy Pimblett within his grasp.

Gaethje, the 37-year-old lightweight champion from the United States, carries a 28-5 record built on one of the most productive striking outputs in the division. Fighting out of Genesis Training Center, he lands 6.48 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy — numbers that have long defined his reputation as a stand-and-bang finisher. His pushback centers on the argument that opponents and analysts fixate on that striking threat while ignoring a wrestling foundation he considers a legitimate weapon.

Pimblett, the 31-year-old Englishman ranked sixth at lightweight, brings his own grappling credentials to the table. Training out of Next Generation MMA Liverpool, "The Baddy" holds a 23-4 record and attempts 1.2 submissions per 15 minutes — a rate that marks him as one of the more active submission hunters in the weight class. He also produces 5.49 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy, making him a well-rounded threat in his own right.

Gaethje specifically pointed to Pimblett as someone he could have submitted, a claim that reframes the stylistic conversation around a potential matchup between two fighters the lightweight division is watching closely.

Why it matters

• Gaethje's assertion challenges a long-standing narrative about his one-dimensional style and could reshape how opponents gameplan against the champion
• Pimblett, ranked sixth, sits within range of a title picture that Gaethje currently controls
• A grappling-heavy champion versus an active submission hunter creates a genuinely complex stylistic puzzle if the two ever meet inside the octagon