Introduction
UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett took place on Saturday, January 24, 2026 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas — the first UFC event broadcast under the new Paramount Skydance media deal, available on Paramount+ at no additional cost to subscribers. It was also the first numbered UFC event not on pay-per-view in the United States since UFC 267 in October 2021.
Justin Gaethje defeated Paddy Pimblett via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) to win the interim UFC lightweight title for the second time in one of the most entertaining fights of 2026. The two lightweights combined to throw nearly 650 total strikes across 25 minutes in a fight that Gaethje described as 'gangster' — Pimblett absorbed extraordinary punishment across rounds two and three but kept throwing at every turn. The Paramount era opened with one of the year's best fights.
UFC 324 also introduced a new bonus structure: Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night awards were increased from $50,000 to $100,000, with additional $25,000 bonuses added for notable KOs and submissions not selected among the standard post-fight awards.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, January 24, 2026
📍 Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
📺 Broadcast: Paramount+ (free to subscribers) — the first UFC numbered event on Paramount+. Select cards also air on CBS.
🏆 Main Event: Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett — Interim UFC Lightweight Championship (155 lbs)
✅ Result: Gaethje def. Pimblett via Unanimous Decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) — Gaethje wins interim title
🥇 Co-Main: Sean O'Malley def. Song Yadong via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) — Bantamweight
The Build-Up
The interim lightweight title was created with Islam Makhachev having moved to welterweight. Ilia Topuria — who had won the lightweight title at UFC 317 — was not competing in the first quarter of 2026 due to personal reasons. Gaethje (27-5) had won his previous fight over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313. Pimblett (23-4) had come off his most impressive career win — a 30-27 TKO of Michael Chandler at UFC 314. Gaethje was -185; Pimblett was +150.
Main Event: Gaethje vs. Pimblett
An immediate Fight of the Year contender. Round one was Pimblett's — he used his reach, his footwork, and his jab to control the distance and land the cleaner shots. Gaethje charged forward and paid for it with some clean shots. By round two, Gaethje had adjusted — he cut off the cage and began landing his right hand with increasing regularity, bloodying Pimblett's face. Rounds two and three were brutal for Pimblett; he absorbed enormous punishment but kept throwing combinations at every turn.
Pimblett's corner told him after round two to stay long and take the centre of the cage. He did, mounting a spirited round three comeback that had the crowd roaring. Rounds four and five were Gaethje's — his output and his accuracy carried the championship rounds. Final scorecards: 48-47, 49-46, 49-46. Gaethje won his second interim lightweight title. Post-fight: 'The f***er's right — Scousers do not get knocked out. That Scouser does not get knocked out. My God, what a gangster.'
Full Results
Main Card (Paramount+)
Justin Gaethje def. Paddy Pimblett — Unanimous Decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) — Interim Lightweight Title (Fight of the Night, $100,000)
Sean O'Malley def. Song Yadong — Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) — Bantamweight
Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Derrick Lewis — TKO (punches) — R2, 3:14 — Heavyweight
Natalia Silva def. Rose Namajunas — Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) — Women's Flyweight
Jean Silva def. Arnold Allen — Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) — Featherweight
Preliminary Card
Umar Nurmagomedov def. Deiveson Figueiredo* — Unanimous Decision (30-27 ×3) — Catchweight (Figueiredo missed weight)
Nikita Krylov def. Modestas Bukauskas — TKO (punches) — R3 — Light Heavyweight
Alex Perez def. Charles Johnson — Finish — R1 — Catchweight (Perez missed weight)
Bonuses & Awards (New Structure: $100,000)
🥇 Fight of the Night: Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett — $100,000 each for one of the most entertaining interim title fights in UFC history.
Records & Milestones
• UFC 324 was the first numbered UFC event on Paramount+ — the first time UFC main events were free to stream for subscribers since the pre-ESPN PPV era.
• New bonus structure: Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night increased to $100,000, plus additional $25,000 bonuses for notable KOs/submissions.
• Gaethje becomes a two-time UFC interim lightweight champion — the only fighter to hold the interim lightweight title twice.
• Sean O'Malley's first UFC win since losing the bantamweight title at UFC 306 — his first win in over a year.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 324 is remembered as the opening statement of the Paramount era — and it delivered one of the year's best fights. Gaethje and Pimblett combining for nearly 650 strikes across 25 minutes, with Pimblett's refusal to go down despite absorbing extraordinary punishment in rounds two and three, gave the Paramount launch exactly the kind of event it needed: a memorable, viral, broadly appealing performance that validated the new broadcast model from day one.
FAQ
What changed with the move to Paramount+?
Numbered UFC events are now available on Paramount+ at no additional cost to subscribers in the United States, with select cards also airing on CBS. The deal is a seven-year, $7.7 billion agreement with Paramount Skydance. It has expanded to include Latin America and Australia. The PPV model that had generated significant additional revenue for UFC has been replaced by a streaming-first approach designed to maximise reach over per-event revenue. The bonus structure was also increased from $50,000 to $100,000 per award.