Overview
- The bout is set for January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, streaming on Paramount+ in the US and on TNT Sports Box Office in the UK, with Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong promoted to co-main after Kayla Harrison’s injury.
- FanDuel lists Pimblett as a slight favorite and a sample of pro fighters edges his way, with champions Alexander Volkanovski and Tom Aspinall also picking him to win.
- Pimblett says he plans to strike with Gaethje and claims he has “50 ways” to finish the fight, comparing the matchup to his stoppage of Michael Chandler.
- Gaethje says he wants to push a high-pace, late-round fight to inflict damage and revealed he was compromised by a bicycle crash 18 days before his 2022 title loss to Charles Oliveira, while calling his 2024 Max Holloway defeat a mindset error.
- The interim title was booked because Topuria is unavailable, and debate continues over Pimblett’s selection with critics noting Arman Tsarukyan was bypassed despite his contender status.