Dana White has revealed a divisive title fight in a division Conor McGregor once dominated.
Dana White’s announcement, made during halftime of the Cowboys vs Chiefs game on CBS, has put the UFC’s new Paramount broadcast deal firmly in the spotlight.
Arman Tsarukyan supporters hoping for a title shot following his win at UFC Qatar will be disappointed, as Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett was instead confirmed.
The interim lightweight title bout comes after champion Ilia Topuria announced he would be taking time away from fighting due to personal issues.
Much of the conversation around that decision has focused on Tsarukyan’s omission. But rather than weigh in on the controversy, Conor McGregor used social media to reveal who he’ll be backing come January 24th.
Conor McGregor posts a show of support for Paddy Pimblett ahead of his UFC 324 title fight
Since Topuria’s title win in June, ‘The Highlight’ and ‘The Baddy’ have been angling for their shot in different ways.
Gaethje went as far as threatening retirement if he did not get next dibs, while Pimblett leaned into his feud with ‘El Matador’ to make his case.
The decision has not sat well with many fans either, especially those questioning Pimblett getting a title shot off just one win over Michael Chandler.
Still, McGregor is at least one prominent supporter that the Scouser has.
The ex-lightweight champion posted his support for Pimblett on X (formerly Twitter), letting everyone know where he stands ahead of UFC 324: “Come on Paddy! @paramountplus.”
Conor McGregor ‘locked in’ for his own UFC return in 2026
If everything goes to plan, McGregor will not just be watching from cageside next year.
‘The Notorious’ is targeting a long-awaited comeback at the UFC White House event in June 2026 – his first appearance since that horrific leg break against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
There are still plenty of sceptics who doubt he will actually make the walk again, but his coach John Kavanagh insists McGregor is fully committed.
He stated on The Ariel Helwani Show: “On our end, we are 100 percent in.
“He has asked me to basically lay out a program between now and June for how we will ramp up our training. He’s showing up again, back in the gym most mornings early.
“From a training point of view, he’s already tasked me with a team with suitable training partners.
“We’ll do some of it in the gym, some of it in his house and he is fully locked in that we are going to be making the walk in, what is it? Six, seven months?”
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