The Bigger Picture | UFC 324

There have been some first event instant classics over the years — the lightweight title fight between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard at UFC 125 and Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit going head-to-head at UFC 195 immediately come to mind — and this one was on par with those, if not better. Gaethje reverted to his wilder ways to start, and Pimblett met him on his terms, dealing with an early knockdown and showing his mettle by surviving and then running close to level with “The Highlight” the rest of the way.

This is one of those fights that was closer than the final scores convey and a bout where calling Pimblett the loser feels like you’re missing the, ahem, bigger picture.

UFC 324 REWIND: Main Card Results | Prelim Results | Scorecards | Bonus Winners

Gaethje needed this one. He’d talked about making one last run at the undisputed title, which he’s failed to capture twice before, and in order to get one more shot, he had to beat Pimblett. He broke out some of his wrestling, leaned on his trademark toughness, and stayed in the Brit’s face for most of the 25-minute affair, taking heavy blows out and doling out even greater punishment in return while making it abundantly clear that he’s not yet ready to go gentle into that good night.

Pimblett was crestfallen (and lumped up) when he spoke with Joe Rogan following the contest, but hopefully in time, “The Baddy” will come to see this as the massive overall victory it was. Yes, he lost the fight, but he gained so much in the process by further proving that Scousers don’t get knocked out and that he is truly at the elite level in the 155-pound weight class. He’ll be back, and whenever he does return, it will be in a huge fight with another lightweight standout.

If you can take personal rooting interests out of it and take a look at this matchup and its outcome through a wider lens, this honestly feels like the right result for both the present and the future: Gaethje is now in line to face off with marauding champion Ilia Topuria whenever he’s ready to return to action, which is going to be a gargantuan fight atop a loaded numbered event later this year. Rather than going out with a whimper, he gets the opportunity to potentially deliver one of the coolest closing chapters you could imagine, and after the performance he turned in on Saturday night, it’s clear that summarily dismissing his chances is foolhardy.

The majority of these results create options for fresh pairings and new title challengers, with is the kind of thing you need as divisions get rolling and you’re trying to sink the hook into a whole new audience that is just discovering your product. These outcomes all feel like they bring excitement and fun possibilities to their respective weight classes, and that’s such a massive thing when it comes to building and maintaining momentum from one event to another.

Even if some of the performances didn’t blow people away, the outcomes put far more interesting options and more captivating discussion topics on the table than had things broken the other way in some or all of these bouts. Bantamweight is more intriguing with O’Malley in the championship mix, and Jean Silva getting back into the win column generates more interest than if Allen got his hand raised; the same goes for “Salsa Boy” at heavyweight, too.

I’m a complete sicko that can get hyped for just about any matchup that gets cobbled together, but even a purist like me that values results above all else can recognize when things break in the direction of freshness and greater intrigue, and how critical those things are for keeping people engaged.

Quick Hitters

Jean Silva just brings something a little different to the Octagon than most: a unique mix of intensity, power, and playfulness, with a dash of crazy sprinkled in for good measure. He can swing rounds and fights with forward pressure and presence, and is a fascinating matchup option for literally anyone ahead of him in the rankings at the moment.

Ty Miller is going to be the next consistently entertaining fighter from Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the UFC. The Fit NHB rep settled Adam Fugitt right before the horn to close out the first round in Saturday’s opener, and while he still needs seasoning, you can already see the makings of someone that’s always getting into wildly entertaining battles in his game.

WATCH: Ty Miller Stops Fugitt

One Last Thing

A post that UFC featherweight Andre Fili shared on Threads made an appearance in the post-fight moments following the main event and I wanted to speak to it because it was such a sharp correlation and connection.

“Gaethje vs Paddy might be our modern era Griffin vs Bonnar. New Paramount fans: welcome to the greatest sport in the world. #UFC324” wrote the longtime 145-pound mainstay, likening Saturday’s finale to the epic back-and-forth between Forrest Griffin and the late Stephan Bonnar at The Ultimate Fighter Finale that aired on Spike TV and has been recognized as the moment the fuse was lit for the explosion of interest in the UFC itself and MMA as a whole.

The power of that moment came from Griffin and Bonnar battling it out on cable TV and people being treated to a visceral, emotional brawl the first time they tuned in to see what all the fuss was about. That same thing likely happened in countless homes on Saturday as people who  already had a Paramount+ subscription or who finally jumped on board witnessed an instant classic between Gaethje and Pimblett to close out UFC 324.

Fights like that make you a fan, and Fili deserves props for making the quick connection with another iconic “first time on this network” moment from the UFC’s history. 

See you after UFC 325!

Miss you, TG.