Justin Gaethje favored in UFC 324 main event

This weekend, the premier MMA enactment is coming to Las Vegas for its archetypal lawsuit of the year, and UFC 324 volition beryllium headlined by an interim lightweight rubric combat betwixt Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. With this being the archetypal main lawsuit of the year, galore fighters person shared their thoughts connected the fight.

Great fight

“The Baddy” is entering what volition surely beryllium the toughest trial of his vocation truthful far, arsenic helium has yet to triumph against a combatant presently ranked successful the apical 10 successful the lightweight division. The main lawsuit of UFC 324 is of immense significance, not lone due to the fact that it could determine who volition situation Ilya Topuria next, but besides due to the fact that it is the archetypal main lawsuit of his caller woody with Paramount.

Former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, 28, picked Gaethje arsenic the victor erstwhile asked astir it by Match Boets. The Russian was antecedently linked with fights against Gaethje and Pimblett portion inactive competing successful the lightweight division. Pimblett adjacent threatened Makhachev, calling him a "little loser" aft Makhachev criticized the Briton and stated that helium was not a "real challenge" for existent lightweight champion Topuria.

Recently retired lightweight combatant Dustin Poirier besides gave his forecast, who believes that "The Highlight" volition inflict Pimblett's archetypal nonaccomplishment successful the UFC.

"It's a amusive fight, I'm leaning towards Justin, but we'll see," Poirier said connected The Ariel Helwani Show. "I deliberation Justin has already been successful those 25-minute fights, he's been successful existent wars. I deliberation Paddy volition person a batch of occupation stopping him successful the basal and I don't deliberation he'll beryllium capable to instrumentality him down, which means he'll person to combat him. Justin has a stronger changeable and is consenting to enactment himself successful information to deed 1 of those shots. It’s hard to enactment distant from him for 25 minutes.’’

Dan Hooker, Belal Muhammad and Colby Covington besides shared their predictions. ‘‘If I had to stake connected fights, this looks similar a definite stake connected Gaethje, I deliberation Justin is simply a precise pugnacious fighter… I deliberation he’s going to truly enactment Paddy to the test,’’ Covington told Submission Radio. ‘‘No, I don’t hold that Paddy is the favorite. Gaethje’s takedown defence is precise good, I don’t spot him taking him down. We haven’t seen Paddy spell into fights with the champion guys successful their premier precise often,’’ Hooker said. ‘‘My prime is Justin. I deliberation Paddy takes excessively galore punches lasting up… I deliberation I’m going to spell with Justin successful this fight,’’ erstwhile welterweight champion Belal Muhammad said successful his analysis.