Justin Gaethje has survived a five-round war with a relentless Paddy Pimblett to claim the interim UFC lightweight championship by unanimous decision in a bloody and bruising fight in Las Vegas.The experienced American’s win put an end to Pimblett’s nine-fight winning run on Saturday at the UFC 324 main event, but Gaethje paid tribute to the Liverpool fighter’s durability and heart.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list“Now that Scouser does not get knocked down,” he said after judges scored the fight 48-47, 49-46 and 49-46, which saw the MMA’s rising star walk away with his head held high.“He is very dangerous, got great timing. … Young kid, dangerous kid. I had to steal his momentum and his confidence,” Gaethje said.Pimblett struck first in the opening round, but the tide quickly turned when Gaethje cracked him with a heavy left-handed punch. The American followed him to the mat with punishing ground strikes before the Briton scrambled back to his feet.A right hand dropped Pimblett to the canvas again in the second, and he was lucky to survive the round as Gaethje pounded away until the horn sounded.Despite bleeding from the nose and cuts to his face, Pimblett strung together some clean flurries in the third round that had Gaethje wobbling. The round was briefly paused after a low blow had the 37-year-old American grimacing.The fourth round s …
