Paddy Pimblett gets good news after Justin Gaethje defeat as new UFC rankings released

Paddy Pimblett is still ranked the fifth best UFC lightweight despite defeat to Justin Gaethje.

‘The Baddy’ suffered a devastating loss to Gaethje in the main event of UFC 324 this past weekend, with the American claiming a unanimous decision after five rounds to win the interim title.

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Pimblett was sent straight to hospital after the Las Vegas headliner, which generated record-breaking viewing figures as the promotion’s first show of its $7.7billion broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount.

Gaethje is now set for an undisputed lightweight title fight with champion Ilia Topuria.

Topuria is currently sidelined from the sport due to a personal matter, but warned ‘The Highlight’ he will be ready in his post-fight reaction to the UFC 324 main event.

As for Pimblett, the 31-year-old is likely to face a lower-ranked opponent next, based on the updated UFC rankings released on Tuesday.

New UFC lightweight rankings

Champion: Ilia Topuria

1. Justin Gaethje (interim champion) +3
2. Arman Tsarukyan -1
3. Charles Oliveira -1
4. Max Holloway -1
5. Paddy Pimblett
6. Dan Hooker
7. Mateusz Gamrot
8. Benoit Saint Denis
9. Rafael Fiziev
10. Renato Moicano
11. Beneil Dariush
12. Michael Chandler
13. Manuel Torres
14. Mauricio Ruffy
15. Fares Ziam

What’s next in the UFC lightweight division?

As the new interim champion, Gaethje, of course, moves up to the top spot at lightweight outside of Topuria.

This means that Arman Tsarukyan, Charles Oliveira, and Max Holloway all drop one position in the rankings, while the remaining 10 fighters remain unchanged.

Tsarukyan felt he was hard done by not getting the interim title shot ahead of Pimblett and Gaethje at UFC 324.

The Armenian submitted Dan Hooker in his last fight, after previously defeating Oliveira in a career-best victory.

However, Tsarukyan was snubbed due to his actions leading up to the Las Vegas event, like headbutting Hooker during their UFC Qatar face-off.

Oliveira, meanwhile, is booked to fight Holloway for the BMF title in the main event of UFC 326 in March.

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The winner of that fight will find themselves in the driving seat to face whoever comes out on top between Topuria and Gaethje, which has been tipped to take place at UFC White House.

Before any of that takes place, however, UFC 325 goes down in Sydney, Australia, this weekend, and two main card fights will have huge ramifications on the lightweight division.

Hooker battles Benoit Saint Denis in a top-ranked lightweight co-main event before Alexander Volkanovski defends his featherweight title in a rematch with Diego Lopes in the headline act.

Pimblett may be booked to face the winner of Hooker vs Saint Denis, with the former an obvious choice following a verbal war of words between the pair earlier this month.

Also on the main card, Rafael Fiziev takes on Mauricio Ruffy at 155lbs to decide who will hold a place in the top 10 rankings.

For now, Pimblett will take time away from the UFC until he is fully fit and ready to return to action.

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But there are a plethora of options for the Liverpudlian upon his comeback and he will look to get back to winning ways as soon as possible.