Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will fight for the interim lightweight title in the main event of UFC’s debut on Paramount+. Say goodbye to the pay-per-view fees, but don’t forget the Paramount+ subscription fee of $8.99 that gets you access to UFC fights — starting with UFC 324 Saturday, Jan. 21 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Gaethje (26-5, 20 KOs) has won three of his past four fights and continues to show the power that has earned him knockout victories against Dustin Poirier, Tony Ferguson and Donald Cerrone. But he’s also prone to getting knocked out, as Max Holloway showed in the dramatic ending of their fight in 2024.
Pimblett (23-3, 7 KOs) lacks the same penchant for knockouts as the 37-year-old Gaethje does. But Pimblett, a 31-year-old from Great Britain, has won nine fights in a row, seven of those UFC bouts.
A highly anticipated bout between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunez was canceled after Harrison suffered a neck injury that required surgery. That elevated a bantamweight matchup between Sean O’Malley and Song Yadong.
Here are the predictions and odds ahead of UFC 324.
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: Gaethje vs. Pimblett fight card and odds
Fight card according to ESPN and odds according to BetMGM as of Wednesday.
Main Card:
Justin Gaethje (+190) vs. Paddy Pimblett (-235), For interim lightweight title
Sean O’Malley (-210) vs. Song Yadong (+170); Bantamweight
Waldo Cortez-Acosta (-325) vs. Derrick Lewis (+260); Heavyweight
Natalie Silvia (-450) vs. Rose Namajunas (+340) Women’s flyweight
Arnold Allen (+225) vs. Jean Silva; (-300); Featherweight
Prelims:
Umar Nurmagomedov (-1600) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (+850); Bantamweight (Odds unavailable)
Ateba Gautier (-1000) vs. Andrey Pulyaev (+625); Middleweight
Nikita Krylov (+125) vs. Modestas Bukauskas (-150); Light heavyweight
Alex Perez (+160) vs. Charles Johnson (-190); flyweight
Early Prelims:
Michael Johnson (+135) vs. Alexander Hernandez (-160); Lightweight
Josh Hokit (-225) vs. Denzel Freeman (+185); Heavyweight
Ricky Turcios (+155) vs. Cameron Smotheron (-190); Bantamweight
Adam Fugitt (+340) vs. Ty Miller (-450); Welterweight
UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett: TV and streaming information
The Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett early prelims, prelims and main card available on Paramount+.
Watch UFC 324 on Paramount+
UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett date and time
Justin Gaethje will face Paddy Pimblett on Saturday, Jan. Merab Dvalishvili will face Petr Yan on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 24
Time: 9 p.m. ET (main card), 7 p.m. ET (prelims), 5 p.m. ET (early prelims)
Stream: Paramount+ (main card, prelims, early prelims).