Surely the UFC could have found bigger names for the main event in its debut on Paramount+ on Saturday, Jan. 21.
But the featured fight at UFC 324 still figures to provide ample action when Justin Gaethje faces Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight championship.
Gaethje, 37, has lost three of his last seven fights, but there’s a reason he’s still a fan favorite: In three of his last four bouts, he shared a $50,000 bonus for Fight of the Night. And in the fourth fight, he pocketed a $50,000 bonus for Performance of the Night.
During that stretch, Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier with a head kick – one of Gaethje’s 20 KOs — and he got knocked out by Max Holloway.
During Gaethje’s last 14 fights, he has collected the bonus for Fight of the Night eight times and the bonus for Performance of the Night.
Pimblett, 31, has delivered too. Over his last seven fights, he has $50,000 bonus for Performance of the Night five times.
USA TODAY Sports has everything you need to enjoy UFC 324, including updates, highlights and analysis:
UFC 324: Time, PPV, streaming for Gaethje vs Pimblett
The highly anticipated fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will take place on Saturday, Jan. 24 and can be streamed on Paramount+, marking the sport’s debut on the service.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 24
Location: T-Mobile Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
Early Prelims start time: 5 p.m. ET
Early Prelims card stream: Paramount+
Prelims card start time: 7 p.m. ET
Prelims card stream: Paramount+
Main card start time: 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+
Catch UFC action now all fights on Paramount+
UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett predictions
Action Network: Pimblett
The 31-year-old Pimblett has looked better and better in every fight, and the market is banking on him continuing to improve against 37-year-old Justin Gaethje. The former interim champion Gaethje is getting another crack at the interim title and has only ever lost to champion-level opponents, with all five of his losses coming against men who’ve at least won an interim title. That makes this a fairly big step up for Pimblett, whose best win to date was likely his third-round finish of Michael Chandler last year. Of course, that’s the same Michael Chandler who took Gaethje to a decision a few years ago, albeit an early version.
Dan Hooker: Gaethje
In an interview on Submission Radio, Hooker, the UFC lightweight fighter, said of Gaethje, ‘I think he’s gonna put Paddy to the test. …Gaethje’s takedown defense is pretty sharp, I don’t see (Pimblett taking Gaethje down). We haven’t seen Paddy get in there that often and mix it up with the best guys in their prime.”
Dustin Poirier: Gaethje
In an interview on the Ariel Helwani Show, Poirier, the former interim UFC lightweight champion, said ‘It’s a fun fight. I’m leaning towards Justin, but we’ll see. I just think he’s been in those 25-minute fights. He’s been in dogfights before. I think Paddy’s going to have a tough time stopping him on the feet. And I don’t think Paddy’s going to be able to get him down, so he’s going to have to fight with him unless Paddy can stay super disciplined for 25 minutes, stay at distance, pick his shots. …Justin’s just a bigger puncher, and he’ll put himself in harm’s way to land one of those shots. It’s tough to stay away from him for 25 minutes. I think Justin stops him.’
UFC 324 odds: Gaethje vs Pimblett fight
Odds via BetMGM as of Wednesday.
Justin Gaethje (+190) vs. Paddy Pimblett (-235), For interim lightweight title
Ring walk time for Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett main event
The Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett fight card consists of 13 fights and will begin at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, with early prelim fights. The main event for the Gaethje vs Pimblett fight is expected to be around 11:30 p.m. ET. However, the duration of the undercard will impact the actual start.
UFC moves to Paramount+ ending PPV era
UFC moves on from its PPV model with ESPN and ESPN+. With its seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, the promise is upwards of 40 UFC events a year. It all begins in 2026 with UFC 324 on Jan. 24, which will broadcast on Paramount+.
UFC 324 preliminary and main card start times
Here are your start times.
Early Prelims: 5 p.m. ET (Paramount+)
Prelims: 7 p.m. ET (Paramount+)
Main card: 9 p.m. ET (Paramount+)
UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett fight card
Fight card according to ESPN and odds according to BetMGM as of Wednesday.
Main Card:
Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett, For interim lightweight title
Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong; Bantamweight
Waldo Cortez-Acosta vs. Derrick Lewis; Heavyweight
Natalie Silvia vs. Rose Namajunas Women’s flyweight
Arnold Allen vs. Jean Silva; Featherweight
Prelims:
Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo; Bantamweight (Odds unavailable)
Ateba Gautier vs. Andrey Pulyaev; Middleweight
Nikita Krylov vs. Modestas Bukauskas; Light heavyweight
Alex Perez vs. Charles Johnson; flyweight
Early Prelims:
Michael Johnson vs. Alexander Hernandez; Lightweight
Josh Hokit vs. Denzel Freeman; Heavyweight
Ricky Turcios vs. Cameron Smotheron; Bantamweight
Adam Fugitt vs. Ty Miller; Welterweight