With his Interim Lightweight title fight at UFC 324 just weeks away, many fans were concerned about a mysterious wound on Justin Gaethje’s neck.
The UFC kicks off 2026 on Paramount Plus with UFC 324 on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena. The highlight will be an interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. The highly anticipated matchup comes as the current champion Ilia Topuria is out of action indefinitely due to personal reasons outside the cage.
On Gaethje’s YouTube channel, he posted a lengthy video in late January showing his intense preparation for the match, and halfway through the video, fans noticed a mysterious wound on the side of Gaethje’s neck. Immediately, alarm bells started ringing and the rumor mill started churning as screenshots of the ugly looking wound spread across social media and MMA channels.
Justin Gaethje quashes rumors
In the wake of the media frenzy, Gaethje came out to address fans’ concerns about the danger of the fight. He replied to fans on
With the fight only 18 days away, the fight’s cancellation would be disastrous, especially since there is no known backup fighter for the event. Gaethje was part of a canceled interim title fight, earlier in 2020 he was scheduled to fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in April, but the event was canceled and rescheduled due to the coronavirus. He eventually fought and brutally defeated Ferguson later that year to claim the interim title.

Who do you think will claim victory in Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324?
#Justin #Gaethje #Cleans #Staph #Scare #Ahead #UFC


