HOW PADDY PIMBLETT’S "DISRESPECTFUL" POIRIER COMMENTS IGNITED THE UFC 324 PRESS CONFERENCE
Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett face off for the interim title at UFC 324. Discover the start times, Poirier drama, and fight odds.
Justin Gaethje didn’t hold back. He slammed Paddy Pimblett for trash-talking some of the UFC’s biggest names, and you could see the tension between them ramp up before their fight.
They’re set to face off Saturday night at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. The interim lightweight belt’s on the line, and, honestly, it’s a fight that feels like it’s been brewing for a while. The funny thing is, when Gaethje and Pimblett met at the launch presser last month, things were surprisingly chill. They shook hands, smiled for the cameras. But all that politeness disappeared at the final press conference on Thursday night.
That’s where it got interesting. Gaethje lost his cool when Pimblett started taking shots at UFC legend Dustin Poirier, claiming Poirier looked “dog s***” in his last fight against Max Holloway. This was during a conversation about whether Gaethje himself is on a “goodbye tour”—something people keep speculating about. Gaethje brushes it off, but his coach, Trevor Wittman, says this is Gaethje’s last big run at the undisputed title. Everything’s on the line Saturday.
So when they went face-to-face on Thursday, Gaethje didn’t sugarcoat his feelings. “I love everything he’s been saying,” Gaethje said, his voice tinged with sarcasm. “He sounds overconfident—he’s out here disrespecting legends like Dustin Poirier. I’m going to dog walk this English fuck on Saturday. Watch.”
Pimblett, for his part, didn’t back down. He told TNT Sports that Poirier put too much pressure on himself by announcing his retirement before fighting Holloway. “He’s come out and said, ‘Yeah, I’m in this retirement fight,’ and he looked like a piece of dog s***. Got his head punched in for five rounds and looked like shit. If you’re going to retire, just do it. Don’t tell everyone. He put too much expectation on his shoulders and got miffed in his own backyard, making himself look stupid.”
On Thursday, Pimblett doubled down. “Dustin’s never had a nice word to say about me, so I was honest—he looked like s***. Stop f***ing crying.” Gaethje wasn’t about to let that slide. He fired back, “You would also look like s*** against Holloway.”
A lot of people have written Pimblett off since this fight got announced. He keeps getting doubted, even though he’s become a real name in the sport. He earned his shot at the interim title by knocking out Michael Chandler last April.
Gaethje, meanwhile, has seen it all. He’s been in the UFC longer, fought in some absolute wars, and has a rep for finishing fights in brutal fashion. He’s already held the interim lightweight belt, though he’s come up short twice when it comes to the undisputed title. He heads into this one off a clear win over Rafael Fiziev in March.
So, when’s the fight? Pimblett vs. Gaethje goes down Saturday, January 24, at the T-Mobile Arena in Vegas. Early prelims start around 10pm GMT (that’s 5pm ET, 2pm PT, 4pm CT), with the regular prelims at midnight GMT (7pm ET, 4pm PT, 6pm CT). The main card kicks off at 2am GMT Sunday (9pm ET, 6pm PT, 8pm CT).
If you’re just tuning in for the main event, expect Pimblett to walk first at about 4am GMT Sunday (11pm ET, 8pm PT, 10pm CT), with Gaethje right after. Timings can change, especially if the undercard goes long, but that’s how things look right now.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER
The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.
The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.
And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.
All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.
There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.
Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.
KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY
The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.
The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.
Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.
This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.
Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.
“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”
Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.
Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.
Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.
“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”
Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.
Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.
“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”
Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.
“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”