Justin Gaethje has claimed the interim UFC lightweight title for the second time, registering a unanimous decision win over Paddy Pimblett in an absolute scorcher of a fight to close out UFC 324.
The all-action American came out deploying his old style, creating car crashes and gruesome exchanges from the jump, hurting Pimblett early and looking to chase down a finish. Not only did Pimblett survive, but he found his footing, with two men teaming up to deliver an instant classic.
Rightfully showered with cheers at the outset of the fifth round, the duo resumed their firefight, trading punishing blows through to the final horn before sharing a respect-filled embrace and soaking in the adoration of the fans.
The judges were tasked with determining the victor and all three saw it the same way (48-47, 49-46, 49-46), awarding Gaethje the win, a second interim title, and a golden ticket to face off with incumbent Ilia Topuria whenever “El Matador” is ready to return later this year.
Sean O’Malley defeats Song Yadong by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Bantamweight standouts Song Yadong and Sean O’Malley went the full 15 minutes, engaging in an ultra-competitive battle that came down to final round.
The former champion O’Malley was the more effective of the two in the first, landing the more telling blows while displaying tremendous efficiency, but in the second, Song drew level, continuing to batter the legs of the Contender Series alum while mixing in a little more effective grappling as well. In the third, O’Malley had more success sniping from range, moving well and stifling Song’s advances while busting up the Chinese fighter.
When the tens and nines were tallied, it was “Suga” that stood triumphant, earning his first win since successfully defending the bantamweight title against Marlon “Chito” Vera at UFC 299. The 31-year-old holds a win over current champ Petr Yan and could very well have put himself in a position to challenge for championship gold once again later this year.
Waldo Cortes Acosta defeats Derrick Lewis by TKO, Round 2, 3:14
Waldo Cortes Acosta collected the biggest win of his UFC career, finishing Derrick Lewis midway through the second round to cement his standing as one of top contenders in the heavyweight division.
After a largely uneventful first round, Lewis slipped while trying to come forward just after the halfway point of the second, accepting bottom position as Cortes Acosta quickly followed him to the canvas. The Dominican standout unleased a torrent of punches as Lewis turtled, forcing referee Jason Herzog to step in and halt the action.
That’s now three straight wins for Cortes Acosta and five victories in the last 11 months. The active Dana White’s Contender Series grad has said he wants to continue his recent pace and called for a matchup with Curtis Blaydes once the American standout is ready to return to action.
Natalia Silva defeats Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
The flyweight clash between elite contenders Natalia Silva and Rose Namajunas was a close, tentative affair and the Brazilian was able to maintain her winning streak with a narrow unanimous decision victory.
With neither women working at a significant clip, it was little moments that decided this one. Silva was the slightly more active in the first round, before Namajunas countered with a better effort in the second, closing out the round in top position. The Brazilian showed a little more urgency in the third, getting the better of the striking and landing in top position out of a scramble in the final minute, only for Namajunas to quickly work back to her feet without taking any damage.
Everything hinged on the scoring of the opening round, and all three officials saw it in favor of Silva, who moved to 8-0 inside the Octagon, pushing her winning streak to 14 overall in the process. The victory keeps her on the short list of possible title challengers for divisional leader Valentina Shevchenko, and it will be interesting to see if she gets the opportunity to fight for gold later this year.
Jean Silva defeats Arnold Allen by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
The UFC 324 main card kicked off with a dynamic featherweight clash between Jean Silva and Arnold Allen that get everyone fired up for the action to come later in the evening.
Allen was the more technical and more active of the two early, landing well through the first four minutes of the opening round before Silva cranked up the pace and power in the waning moments. The second was a little more frenetic, with Silva increasing his output and scoring with the greater individual blows, only for Allen to counter with steady volume and success of his own. While the pace slowed in the final frame, the intensity did not, as the two men stayed in close quarters, battling it out until the final horn.
When the scorecards were collected tallied, it was Silva that emerged on the happy side of the results, getting himself back into the win column and moving forward again in the featherweight division. “Lord” remains one of the most consistently entertaining talents on the roster, and should take another step forward in the rankings after besting Allen on Saturday.
