Sports

Paddy Pimblett Immediately Suspended From Fighting After UFC 324 Defeat

Published

5 months ago

January 25, 2026

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Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett has been immediately banned from fighting after his loss to Justin Gaethje in their interim title fight at UFC 324 on Saturday night.

Paddy The Baddy was unbeaten in all seven of his UFC fights heading into the headline clash at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, his unblemished run inside the Octagon came to a decisive end as he was floored on multiple occasions by the popular American veteran during their five-round contest.

Pimblett, who lost the fight by unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards, was noticeably bleeding as he made his way back to his corner at the end of the second round. He was in such rough shape at the end of the night that he didn’t even attend the post-event press conference. UFC CEO Dana White told the assembled media that the 31-year-old had been transported to a local hospital and would not be appearing as scheduled.

In his only public post-fight comments, Pimblett told Joe Rogan:

“You live and you learn. I’m 31. I’ll be back better, simple as that. You haven’t seen the last of me.”

While Pimblett’s commitment to returning to action and getting back into the win column is admirable, it may be some time until he is back in the Octagon. Having taken significant punishment in his loss to Gaethje, Paddy is now suspended from competing.

Why Paddy Pimblett Has Been Suspended From Fighting

As is the case with every UFC card in Las Vegas, the event is overseen by the Nevada State Athletic Commission [NSAC]. Among other things, the commission is ultimately responsible for ensuring fighter safety.

Given that he was hospitalised as a result of the injuries he sustained against Gaethje, Paddy must now serve a ban from fighting. Section 467.562 of the Nevada Admin Code entitled ‘Suspension of licensee for medical reason’ states that a fighter in Pimbett’s situation “must be suspended until it is shown that he is fit for further competition.”

The suspension lasts for a minimum of 30 days and can only be lifted afterwards by a licensed doctor, who must testify that Pimblett is fit to return to action.

In practice, though, the NSAC is likely to impose a larger ban on Pimblett due to the unforgiving nature of his fight with Gaethje. The Commission does not make their medical suspensions public, but does have the power to increase Pimblett’s 30-day suspension to a maximum of 180 days. These longer bans can be lifted early, providing the commission receives a letter of clearance from a doctor.

According to Dana White, the victorious Gaethje refused to go to hospital to get checked out after the fight. While ‘The Highlight’ might have been able to swerve the UFC’s requests that he be cleared by a doctor, he won’t be able to do the same with the commission.

Justin will also serve a minimum suspension of 30 days and won’t be allowed to resume fighting without medical approval.

Why Paddy Pimblett’s Ban After UFC 324 Applies Worldwide

Although the Nevada Commission is responsible for handing down Pimblett’s suspension, the charismatic scouser will actually be banned worldwide. This is because every commission uses an approved database (often called the national registry) to check whether athletes are clear to compete.

Without exception, commissions honour each other’s medical suspensions through the database and won’t license a suspended athlete. In areas without a formal commission, the UFC acts as its own regulator but also enforces suspensions from other commissions.

The suspension means that Pimblett won’t be making a swift return to action and essentially rules him out of a comeback fight at March’s UFC London event. After the most devastating defeat of his career, though, he will likely appreciate having some time to reflect before planning his comeback bout.

Sports

Exact UK Start Time of Topuria vs Gaethje Revealed

Published

1 hour ago

June 14, 2026

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UFC fans in the UK now know exactly when they will need to tune in for one of the most significant events the promotion has ever staged.

For the first time in history, the UFC will host an event on the grounds of the White House, with UFC Freedom 250 set to take place on the South Lawn of the Washington DC property. The event has been organised to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the USA, together with the 80th birthday of president Donald Trump.

The historic card has attracted huge interest from fight fans globally, as several of the biggest names in the promotion will be featured, with two UFC championships on the line.

UFC White House Card Explored

In the main event of the evening, Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje will face off for the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship. Before that clash, Alex Pereira will seek to win UFC gold in a third weight class as he takes on Ciryl Gane for the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship.

A stacked card also sees fan favourites such as Sean O’Malley, Michael Chandler, and Derrick Lewis in action, making UFC Freedom 250 one of the deepest lineups assembled in recent memory.

The card is unique in that there are no preliminary fights, with all seven fights on the bill being part of a bumper main card. Given the unprecedented setting in which the fight will take place, many fans will want to take in every second of the action.

Exact UK Start Time For UFC Freedom 250

As anticipation continues to build, the exact start time for British viewers has now been revealed. Notably, UFC Freedom 250 will not be a pay-per-view show, meaning that it will be shown as part of the standard TNT Sports subscription.

The event will air on TNT Sports 1 in the UK, with a start time of 1am BST on Monday morning. Fans will be in for a late night if they want to watch the action live.

If there was ever a card to miss sleep for, it’s arguably UFC Freedom 250. However, for those among you who want to grab a few extra hours in bed, the expected start times of the two championship fights have also been confirmed.

Exact UK Start Times For Ilia Topuria vs Justin Gaethje and Alex Pereira vs Cyril Gane

The co-main event between Pereira and Gane will be a five-round affair, although most predict that it will end inside the 25-minute distance. The two fighters are expected to make their way to the Octagon at 3:30am UK time, with the action set to get underway shortly afterwards.

Once the interim heavyweight title fight is decided, all eyes will then be on Topuria and Gaethje as they battle it out to determine the best 155-pound fighter in the world. That bout is scheduled to go down no earlier than 4:45am UK time.

The above timings assume that the outdoor event isn’t disrupted by bad weather, which is something that the UFC have been planning for.

Whether you’re pulling an all-nighter to catch the whole card or just getting up for the championship bouts, UFC Freedom 250 is a night that will live long in the memory.

Sports

7 National Teams Can Wear Special FIFA 2026 World Cup Gold Badge

Published

2 hours ago

June 14, 2026

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Eagle-eyed viewers have spotted that Brazil wore a different FIFA World Cup 2026 badge to the rest of the national teams that have competed in this summer’s tournament so far.

Mexico, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic, Canada, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland, United States, Paraguay, Australia and Turkey all played with white or dark variations of the FIFA badge on their jerseys.

Brazil’s, on the other hand, was gold. Naturally, this left many football fans puzzled.

There are so many initiatives these days that it can be hard to keep up. For example, players appearing in a World Cup finals match for the first time will wear a new ‘debut’ patch.

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Six Other Teams That Can Wear Gold FIFA Badge

Just seven of the 48 teams competing at the 2026 World Cup will wear the gold FIFA badge on their shirts, including Brazil.

While the Selecao haven’t lifted the iconic FIFA World Cup trophy since Ronaldo Nazario inspired them to glory in 2002, they remain the competition’s most successful nation.

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Their 2002 triumph was the fifth time Brazil have been crowned champions, following their victories in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994.

Only teams that have previously won the World Cup can wear the badge. The other six teams are:

Argentina

The reigning world champions have the same gold badge on their sleeve of their jersey, plus a special gold FIFA badge on the front of the shirt to celebrate their 2022 triumph.

England

It’s now been 60 years of hurt, but the Three Lions did indeed win the World Cup back in 1966 at the old Wembley stadium thanks to Sir Geoff Hurst’s legendary hat-trick.

France

Winners of the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and again in 2018. Didier Deschamps played a big role in both triumphs, first as a player and then as manager.

Germany

Germany last won the World Cup in 2014, defeating Lionel Messi’s Argentina in the final. They also lifted the trophy in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

Spain

Spain ended their long wait for the World Cup in 2010 thanks to Andres Iniesta’s famous winning goal against the Netherlands in South Africa.

Uruguay

Winners of the first-ever World Cup back in 1990, the South American nation lifted the trophy again 20 years later.

The only former World Cup champions missing from this summer’s tournament are Italy. The Azzurri (winners in 1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006) haven’t qualified for a World Cup finals since 2014.

Sports

Brentford Set to Make Approach to Beat Arsenal to Jeremy Monga

Published

2 hours ago

June 14, 2026

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One of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals is set to attempt to hijack their move to sign a young star ahead of the summer transfer window.

The Gunners are acting fast in the summer window as they look to improve their squad heading into the 2026-2027 season.

Arsenal enjoyed a phenomenal campaign last time out, reaching the Champions League final before losing to Paris Saint-Germain while also lifting the Premier League title.

Although they shouldn’t need a host of reinforcements to battle for the title once again, Mikel Arteta’s side will be looking to bring in new additions to go one step further in the Champions League.

The North London club also won’t want to rest on what they’ve already built, looking to dominate English football for the future.

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Arsenal are making moves this summer.

Premier League Rivals’ Arsenal Hijack

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta puts his arms out in defence

According to a report from The Times, one of Arsenal’s Premier League rivals is set to make an approach to try and sign Leicester City winger Jeremy Monga in the summer transfer window.

That side is Brentford, who are now expected to make formal contact with Leicester over a move, despite the Gunners identifying Monga as a priority target.

The 16-year-old has been tracked by a number of clubs, and Brentford could hold an advantage in the race due to being able to offer more game time than Arsenal.

Previous reports had suggested that Arsenal were advancing in talks to sign the young star who has previously been described as ‘England’s Ousmane Dembele‘.

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Brentford Could Beat Arsenal in Race

Monga, described as ‘special’, will find it incredibly difficult to break into Arsenal’s senior squad, especially in the next couple of years.

Brentford are more likely to offer him regular minutes, especially in the near future, and they’ve regularly offered young talent game time.

The Gunners might have a plan for Monga to go out on loan to continue gaining first-team experience, but either way, the Bees might present a clearer pathway.

It looks set to be a competitive race to secure the signature of the 16-year-old, and he certainly has some tough decisions to make in terms of choosing his next club.