Media Breaking: Paddy vs Gaethje for Interim LW Belt

[krelianx]

This is fucking unacceptable.

 

[flektarn]

Would arman have turned around by jan 24 for this? For a title, I think so but idk.
A bit silly.

 

[jitzmonkey]

I’m a Brit and I can’t fucking stand him!

good for you

 

[cmw43]

This is wrong on so many levels. First with all respect to Ilia but a divorce is not a justified we need an interim situation he should be stripped to sort out his personal stuff.
Second Arman should be involved i said as much as anyone he shouldn't be handed shit until he won another fight but he's accomplished that so he should be treated as the #1 guy again.

If news comes out Arman turned it down because it wasn't Top or undisputed it's a little less stupid but still not smart.

He said he's just out for the first quarter focusing on his kids, so that's 9 months between fights, not terrible after having 3 title fights in 16 months.

You got Khamzat only fighting once a year for the last 3 years with no fight lined up and no one calling for him to get stripped.

Strange they've got Arman as ranked #1 but no plans for him, theres got to be something going on.

 

[cmw43]

Embarassing fight, Paddy is getting heavy Conor level of Dana White privilege.

You think Paddy walks through Justin? Seems like a tough fight to me.

 

[Eric Silva 2.0]

Looool. This organization is a joke!!

I like the matchup but Arman is getting screwed. I think Paddy beats Gaethje. If and when he does, 2026 will be year of the 'Paddy Wagon'.

 

[The_Renaissance]

Official, then. I am so sick of Gaethje.

 

[Big Al's Texas BBQ]

You think paddy can take gaethje down? Gawthje has shitty jitz, but he's not easy to take down and paddy isn't exactly a good wrestler.

All Paddy needs to do is clinch with Gaethje and get behind him. One mat return and it's game over.

 

[Urluberluu]

What's the point of being active , fighting lot of people in the top 15 when you just have to cry and wait or beat 2-5 Chandlers?

This is a joke , the top 15 ranking make nos sens and title fight same

 

[SalvadorAllende]

@theufcbaddy best of lucks kiddo.

Just take Justin down and do some quick work there.

 

[Spath]

As soon as it hits the mat it’s over lol.

UFC knows what it’s doing, Paddy will sub Justin. Gaethje is cashing his chips for one final payday. Ilia fights Paddy next. All as planned.

”I will only fight for the title or else I retire”
- Gaethje

”Okay, interim title it is!”

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Usman is still lightyears better than Paddy, and Buckley is better than anybody Paddy has ever fought.

Buckley is a can.

 

[Koala]

Paddy by submission
Gay TJ is cursed

 

[mkess101]

Neither Justin nor Paddy are stars. They’re trying to build up Paddy. That’s the goal here. They don’t care about division integrity.

Justin isn't a "star", but that's more that the UFC doesn't really have "stars" anymore (at least relative to the past). Justin still has a reputation of putting on exciting fights vs high level guys. The times he's attending shows and is put on camera he gets a big applause.

Don't get me wrong, the UFC absolutely wants him to be a stepping stone here and to be able to put a belt on Paddy and vault him into being bigger than he is now for a unification fight with Topuria. But they do see Justin as a viable name that will get some extra eyeballs on this first card.

 

[b00tysweat]

If the entire crowd doesn't chant Arman, Arman, Arman during this fight im breaking my fing television

Buddy you might want to not make promises you can't keep

nobody is chanting Arman at a Paddy fight

 

[RichardHarrow]

 

[mkt]

The Chandler comparisons are pointless given he's been a perennial punching bag for the vast majority of his time in the UFC.

Nowhere near Gaethje.

Except I've already dealt with that. Chandler won 1 of 3 rounds on 2 of the judges scorecards when they fought. 37-year old Gaethje is becoming more of a punching bag (that's all he was vs. Max), is 37 and is worse on the ground than Chandler.

 

[Doughie99]

I’m a Brit and I can’t fucking stand him!

I'm another Brit and I cannot stand Pimblett either! He's a gobby twat.

I hope Gaethje crushes blonde kid's legs and gets a leg kick TKO. F Pimblett

 

[mkess101]

Except I've already dealt with that. Chandler won 1 of 3 rounds on 2 of the judges scorecards when they fought. 37-year old Gaethje is becoming more of a punching bag (that's all he was vs. Max), is 37 and is worse on the ground than Chandler.

He's worse on the ground but harder to get there than Chandler. And yes Max lit him up, but are we gonna pretend Fisiev isn't a really good striker that Justin beat for the 2nd time in his last fight? Yes short notice for Fisiev but Justin looked pretty damn sharp in that one.

 

[mkt]

He's worse on the ground but harder to get there than Chandler. And yes Max lit him up, but are we gonna pretend Fisiev isn't a really good striker that Justin beat for the 2nd time in his last fight? Yes short notice for Fisiev but Justin looked pretty damn sharp in that one.

Gaethje is currently a better striker than Chandler. I won't argue with that. He matches up well with Fisiev for whatever reason and as you said, that was a very short notice fight for Rafael to take. As for takedown defense, I'm not sure. Maybe Justin's is slightly better, but he sets himself up for TDs more often with leg kicks. And there's almost no way he would've survived 5 rounds (much of it on his back) like Chandler did vs. Oliveira.

Paddy fought Chandler just 6 months after the Oliveira fight and dominated him more than Charles did...and finished him. It's the only Chandler fight in the UFC where Michael didn't at least stun his opponent once. You can call it MMA Math or whatever, but it happened. I have a hard time believing a huge version of Paddy (who looks almost like a MW) won't be able to take an old Gaethje down. I mean Luis Palomino had Gaethje in a bit of trouble on the ground in WSOF back when when Justin was in his 20s.