With his Interim Lightweight title bout at UFC 324 only weeks away many fans were concerned over a mystery wound on the neck of Justin Gaethje.
The UFC kick off 2026 on Paramount Plus with UFC 324 taking place in the T-Mobile Arena on January 24th. Headlined by interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. The highly anticipated matchup comes about as current champion Ilia Topuria is out of action indefinitely due to personal reasons outside the cage.

On the Gaethje’s YouTube channel he posted a long video showing his intense preparation for the matchup at the end of January, and midway through the video fans picked up on a mysterious wound on the side of Gaethje’s neck. Immediately alarm bells started ringing and the rumour mill began to swirl as screenshots of the ugly looking wound spread across social media and MMA outlets.
Justin Gaethje Quashes Rumours
In the aftermath of the media frenzy Gaethje came out to relieve fans concerns over the bout being in jeopardy. He replied to fans on X confirming the ghastly wound on the neck is an ingrown hair and hanging out of his mouth is a bit of brisket.
With the bout only 18 days away the cancellation of the fight would be disastrous particularly as there is no known backup fighter for the event. Gaethje has been part of a cancelled interim title bout previously back in 2020 he was due to fight Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in April but the event was cancelled and rescheduled due to Coronavirus. He eventually fought and beat Ferguson brutally later that year claiming the interim title.


Who do you think claims victory in Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324?
