Joe Rogan says Pimblett was rushed into Gaethje fight
· Yahoo Sports
Back in January, Paddy Pimblett found himself in over his head.
That’s how Joe Rogan saw it, watching from close range as Pimblett came up short against Justin Gaethje in their UFC 324 headliner.
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They fought for the interim lightweight title while Ilia Topuria was away. The Spaniard will be back in the summer, but it won’t be for a bout with Pimblett, despite what many fans had hoped to see.
Gaethje defied a lot of expectations at the start of 2026, and Rogan believes he was simply too much for Pimblett at this stage of his career.
Paddy Pimblett’s UFC career hit its first roadblock earlier this year, and Joe Rogan has given his take on what went wrong
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCSome felt he should have leaned more into his grappling game, especially against a striker like Gaethje.
But speaking during his JRE Fight Companion episode for UFC London, Rogan pointed to Pimblett’s rapid rise through the ranks as a bigger factor than any tactical missteps on the night.
“Do you feel like he got rushed into (fighting) a guy like Gaethje? That he should have had a few more top contenders?” Rogan asked Brendan Schaub.
“I think it was (too much, too soon). Gaethje’s a monster on the feet. He’s a real problem. He beat up (Rafael) Fiziev standing up and Fiziev is a wicked striker.
“I just think throwing him (Pimblett) to Justin after Jared Gordon — I thought Jared Gordon won that fight — just a few years later,” he added.
Pimblett hasn’t announced when he’ll return to the Octagon, but there have been hints about International Fight Week following his chat with Dana White at The O2 in London. Whenever it is, he’ll be eager to get back on track and stay in the mix at lightweight.
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