UFC 324 fight card overview
UFC 324 takes place on 24 January 2026 at T‑Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and is the first UFC event under the new Paramount+ streaming partnership, ditching the traditional pay‑per‑view model in favour of a subscription‑only broadcast. The main card features Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett for an interim lightweight title, Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes for the women’s bantamweight belt, Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong, Waldo Cortes‑Acosta vs Derrick Lewis, and Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva, plus Alexa Grasso vs Rose Namajunas on the wider lineup.
The UFC has loudly framed this card as “absolutely stacked” and “a huge win for fans” because it’s included in Paramount+ without extra PPV fees, but that marketing spin is exactly what many critics are pushing back against. Instead of being remembered as the fans’ card, UFC 324 is already being talked about as a test case for whether the promotion now builds fights for algorithms and subscriptions rather than rankings and resumes.
Gaethje vs Pimblett: interim title or interim circus?
The biggest flashpoint is Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett for the interim (or vacant, depending on listing) lightweight title, billed as the fight that will decide who faces champion Ilia Topuria later in 2026. Gaethje’s action‑heavy style makes sense in any headliner, but pairing him with Pimblett – whose résumé is far thinner than elite contenders like Arman Tsarukyan – is what has sparked accusations of a “bogus” title fight.
Ariel Helwani and other analysts have openly blasted the matchup, pointing out that the interim belt does not feature the division’s top contender and looks designed to fast‑track a popular, marketable name into a title picture he hasn’t properly earned. The concern is simple: if Gaethje vs Pimblett ends in a wild upset or controversial result, the UFC is locked into a Topuria fight (and maybe an immediate rematch) that freezes more deserving lightweights out of the championship picture for most of 2026.
Arman Tsarukyan snub: rankings vs ratings
Arman Tsarukyan, widely viewed as the rightful next lightweight title challenger, reportedly made it clear he was ready to fight, only to be bypassed for Pimblett in the UFC 324 main event. His furious social‑media reaction captured what many hardcore fans feel: if beating top competition and grinding through killers doesn’t get you an interim shot, what is the point of the rankings system at all?
Commentators worry that this sends a dangerous message: charisma and regional fanbases matter more than wins over elite opposition when it comes to UFC title opportunities. In an era where “we make the best fights” is the UFC’s favourite talking point, staking the first Paramount+ event on a hype‑driven title fight looks like the company contradicting its own slogan in front of millions.
Harrison vs Nunes 2: “biggest women’s fight ever”… buried under a fake belt?
On paper, Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes is one of the best women’s fights the UFC can make, a champion vs Hall of Famer clash being sold as “the biggest women’s fight ever.” Yet this co‑main event has been overshadowed by the interim lightweight circus above it, leading Helwani to highlight the absurd choice to put a questionable men’s belt over a truly elite women’s matchup.
By using the Harrison–Nunes rematch as a supporting act for Gaethje–Pimblett, the promotion undercuts its own hype about women’s MMA and again signals that spectacle belts take priority over real legacy fights. For many observers, that choice sums up UFC 324: great fights exist on the card, but they’re arranged in a way that serves marketing narratives, not sporting logic.
Is UFC 324 really a “win for fans”?
Dana White has framed UFC 324 and the Paramount+ era as a fan‑friendly revolution: no more PPV, a prime‑time 9 p.m. ET main‑card start, and a line‑up stacked with names from top to bottom. But critics argue that if the price of that “win” is a watered‑down ranking system, matchmaking that openly favours hype over merit, and interim belts that function mostly as content hooks, fans may not be getting the deal they’re being sold.
