Paddy Pimblett Critiques Joe Rogan's Commentary After Rewatching Gaethje Fight

The UFC star was 'infuriated' by the perceived unfair treatment during his first career loss.

Published on Feb. 23, 2026

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Paddy Pimblett was furious after rewatching his unanimous decision loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324, criticizing referee Marc Goddard's handling of potential low blows and Joe Rogan's commentary. Pimblett felt he was unfairly treated, with Gaethje's eye pokes and low blows going unpunished, while his own strikes were deemed illegal. The lightweight star is now targeting a summer return against Benoit Saint-Denis, who recently moved ahead of him in the rankings after beating Dan Hooker.

Why it matters

Pimblett's critique of the officiating and commentary highlights the ongoing debate around fighter safety and the consistency of in-fight rulings in MMA. As one of the UFC's rising stars, Pimblett's perspective carries weight and could spur further discussions about improving standards to protect athletes.

The details

Pimblett was particularly upset that Gaethje's multiple eye pokes went unpunished, and that referee Marc Goddard halted the action when Gaethje claimed he was hit with a low blow, even though replays showed the strike landed on the beltline. Pimblett was also frustrated that commentator Joe Rogan deemed one of Gaethje's potential low blows as legal, while Pimblett's own strike to the same area was ruled illegal.

  • Pimblett suffered his first career loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 on January 24, 2026.
  • Benoit Saint-Denis moved into the UFC lightweight top 5 after defeating Dan Hooker at UFC 325 on January 31, 2026.

The players

Paddy Pimblett

A 31-year-old English UFC lightweight fighter who suffered his first career loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324.

Justin Gaethje

Pimblett's opponent at UFC 324, who defeated him via unanimous decision to win the interim UFC lightweight title.

Marc Goddard

The referee who officiated the UFC 324 main event between Pimblett and Gaethje.

Joe Rogan

The UFC color commentator whose commentary on the Pimblett-Gaethje fight angered the British fighter.

Benoit Saint-Denis

A French UFC lightweight fighter who moved into the top 5 of the division after defeating Dan Hooker at UFC 325.

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What they’re saying

“See, that knee to the body hit him. That never hit him low. That's experience. This did my head in. I can remember turning to Trevor Wittman and going like that [stretches out his arms and shrugs].”

— Paddy Pimblett (yardbarker.com)

“Look, he's just kneed me in the balls. What the f—? Watching this back is so annoying. He's just kneed me low and then landed shots because of it. And Rogan is saying 'That's beltline'. Well, if that's belt line, how isn't the one I hit Gaethje with before belt line?”

— Paddy Pimblett (yardbarker.com)

What’s next

Pimblett says he is ready to return to the octagon in the summer, targeting a fight against Benoit Saint-Denis, who recently moved ahead of him in the UFC lightweight rankings.

The takeaway

Pimblett's critique of the officiating and commentary during his loss to Gaethje highlights the ongoing challenges around fighter safety and consistency of in-fight rulings in MMA. As a rising star, his perspective could spur further discussions about improving standards to better protect athletes.