Pimblett vs Gaethje LIVE!
Paddy Pimblett suffered his first UFC defeat in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Liverpool favourite ‘Paddy The Baddy’ sought a career-best win in the main event of UFC 324 at T-Mobile Arena as he took on Justin Gaethje for the right to be crowned as interim lightweight champion. However, he was left battered and bloodied during a bruising encounter, losing by unanimous decision as the three judges all scored the bout for Gaethje, 48-47, 49-46, 49-46.
Despite an incredible effort during a five-round war, Pimblett was dealt his first loss in the UFC in his eighth fight and first of his MMA career since 2018. The defeat is a huge setback to his hopes of meeting arch-rival Ilia Topuria, the full champion at 155lbs who is currently away from fighting due to personal issues.
Sean O’Malley defeated Song Yadong in the co-main event on Saturday, with Waldo Cortes-Acosta stopping Derrick Lewis after Natalia Silva beat Rose Namajunas and Suffolk’s Arnold Allen lost a thriller to Jean Silva. There were also wins on the prelim bill for the likes of Umar Nurmagomedov and Ateba Gautier. Follow UFC 324 live below!
UFC 324 results
- Justin Gaethje inflicts first UFC defeat on Paddy Pimblett
- Sean O'Malley back to winning ways against Song Yadong
- Waldo Cortes-Acosta stops Derrick Lewis in second round
- Natalia Silva beats Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision
- Suffolk's Arnold Allen loses thriller to Jean Silva on points
Arman Tsarukyan taunts Paddy Pimblett after 'undeserved' title shot
06:25 , George FloodThe No1-ranked lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan had been an outspoken critic of tonight’s main event, specifically Paddy Pimblett getting a title chance ahead of him despite ‘The Baddy’ currently sitting at No5 in the division.
Inevitably he hasn’t waited long to rub salt into the wound...
He wrote on X: “That’s what happens when you’re gifted opportunities and pushed up the rankings artificially, a completely undeserved title shot for Paddy.
“Congratulations to Justin.
“He showed real heart, and unlike others, he’ll step up and take the fight with me. Respect.”
That’s what happens when you’re gifted opportunities and pushed up the rankings artificially, a completely undeserved title shot for Paddy.
— Arman Tsarukyan UFC (@ArmanUfc) January 25, 2026
Congratulations to Justin. He showed real heart, and unlike others, he’ll step up and take the fight with me. Respect
Justin Gaethje beats Paddy Pimblett by unanimous decision
05:35 , George FloodHere are those all-important judges’ scorecards:
48-47, 49-46, 49-46 - all in favour of Justin Gaethje, who has a second reign as the UFC’s interim lightweight champion.
A first defeat in eight UFC fights for Paddy Pimblett.
Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje
05:32 , George FloodRound 5
Finally some takedown success for Pimblett with three minutes to go in an absorbing fifth.
However, Gaethje is frustrating him and doing everything he can to remain upright, pushing him back against the fence and driving in some punishing knees to the body.
Gaethje with more big rights, both men are absolutely exhausted as they try and muster some last-gasp attacks with knees and strikes.
Pimblett is landing better with a minute to go, this is extraordinary.
Gaethje has Pimblett up against the cage with 30 seconds left.
They are absolutely shattered, Gaethje is hurt late and they are literally falling over with tiredness as they both try and land before the final buzzer.
What. A. Fight. My word. Remarkable.
I think Gaethje is gonna get this narrowly, but I could be wrong.
A stellar effort from Pimblett regardless.
Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje
05:25 , George FloodRound 4
Momentum continues to swing wildly back and forth during an absolutely incredible fight.
Gaethje tries to take it to the ground again after more big shots from Pimblett, who is then hurt by a massive punch.
Pimblett - whose face is a real mess - is pinned up against the fence and claims he was hit low.
Pimblett is in big trouble again, but he keeps attacking Gaethje’s legs and now explodes with a furious combination before the buzzer.
This is truly remarkable stuff and you sense there is a huge finish ahead in the fifth and final round...
Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje
05:18 , George FloodRound 3
Pimblett with some impressive powers of recovery here as he goes to work behind the jab.
Both men are landing big shots now, Gaethje is buzzed and the momentum may be turning.
Gaethje claims he was kneed low by Pimblett, who can’t believe it. Replays show it was definitely low.
Pimblett continues to attack Gaethje’s legs and detonates a big right hand.
After such a dominant second, that was an oddly passive round at times from Gaethje.
He’s allowed Paddy back into the fight.
Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje
05:13 , George FloodReplays show there was more finger contact to the eye there from Gaethje as he delivered a left hand before the damaging right that put Pimblett down.
Pimblett’s corner are pleading with their man to try a takedown here.
Relentless from Gaethje at the moment.
Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje
05:11 , George FloodRound 2
Pimblett continues to fire in these punishing leg kicks which Gaethje just cannot avoid.
Gaethje takes it to the ground and tries the front headlock, but Pimblett is quickly back up again.
Pimblett felt a kick from Gaethje there and fell after trying a high kick of his own.
Both men inflict damage on the inside, Pimblett with the knees to the body and Gaethje with the uppercut.
More knees to the body in the clinch from Paddy.
Gaethje is still piling on the pressure, lands another uppercut and tries another front headlock.
Pimblett is hurt by a knee and now he’s cracked with a right hand and goes down to the mat.
Blood around his right eye now and he’s desperately trying to defend as Gaethje rains down the enormous blows on the deck.
He’s saved by the buzzer. Pimblett is in a world of trouble here, he looks very hurt and his face is busted.
Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje
05:05 , George FloodRound 1
Some sharp strikes from Pimblett early on, though Gaethje responds in kind. The size difference between the pair is quite something.
A huge knee and some big punches from Pimblett, Gaethje follows with a big right and suddenly Pimblett is down and in trouble!
Paddy is defending desperately on the canvas, but Gaethje lets him back up.
Pimblett is feeling Gaethje’s power here and he’s back on his back after a leg kick, now both men are trading more huge shots and each taking sizable risks.
Pimblett is up against the fence before escaping and rattling in some good leg kicks and uppercuts.
Gaethje goes looking for that right hand again, now we’ve got a stoppage after Pimblett receives a poke to the eye.
The crowd boos, which leaves Paddy incredulous.
He’s okay to continue quickly, but it’s a warning for Gaethje with his hand open - next time will be a point off.
More good leg kicks from Pimblett, but again Gaethje uncorks that huge right hand.
Pimblett fires back with a left and some thumping knees.
An incredible first round!
Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje
04:57 , George FloodSpine-tingling introductions from Bruce Buffer now over, it’s time for the main event to begin at long last - at almost 5am in the UK.
Can Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett become the UFC’s interim lightweight champion?
It’s time to find out...
Gaethje looks calm and composed as he makes his way to the octagon, draped in an American flag as country music plays.
This is a huge night for him too - potentially the last-chance saloon title-wise for a man who turns 38 this year.
Pimblett is geeing up the crowd and having a ball as he dances his way into the octagon and keeps his one-man party going, singing into the camera.
He couldn’t be more relaxed if he tried.
A chorus of ‘Oh Paddy the Baddy’ rings out around T-Mobile Arena.
Here comes the main man himself, dancing on his way to the octagon without a care in the world.
Talk about confidence.
Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje on the way next
04:46 , George FloodJust the main event to come now at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena - Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett for the interim UFC lightweight title is up next.
Don’t go anywhere!
Sean O'Malley beats Song Yadong by unanimous decision
04:42 , George FloodAll three judges score the fight 29-28 in favour of Sean O’Malley, who is back in the win column for the first time since March 2024 following those back-to-back losses to Merab Dvalishvili.
To say he is pleased is an understatement, and he quickly calls out current bantamweight champion Petr Yan.
But he knows that a rematch between Yan and Dvalishvili is likely coming next once the latter has recovered from injury.
Cory Sandhagen is in the crowd and intimates that he wants Suga next.
A nice moment as O’Malley gets his daughter into the octagon to celebrate with him.
Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong
04:34 , George FloodBlood is coming from the nose of Song, who is trying to force the pace still, but O’Malley is picking him off nicely now with those crisp counters.
Song tries to rush into a takedown attempt and ends up flat on his face.
O’Malley is looking far smoother and more composed now, ducking under a spinning back elbow attempt from Song, Matrix-style.
Suga with a brilliant knee to the face, left and right hands quickly follow.
He finishes with a sharp right hand and head kick.
No doubt who won that all-important third round.
Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong
04:27 , George FloodA solid opening round just shaded by O’Malley with an eye-catching takedown, but Song doesn’t panic and comes on strong in the second to surely level up our co-main event at 1-1.
Five minutes to decide it...
Sean O'Malley vs Song Yadong
04:08 , George FloodIt’s time for the co-main event of the night at T-Mobile Arena!
‘Suga’ Sean O’Malley takes to the octagon next for a showdown with China’s Song Yadong.
Former bantamweight champion O’Malley is looking to get swiftly back into title contention after his consecutive defeats by Merab Dvalishvili.
Song beat former bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo by technical decision on his last outing last February after an accidental eye poke rendered the latter unable to continue.
He had previously dropped a decision to two-time bantamweight champion Petr Yan.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta stops Derrick Lewis in second round
03:56 , George FloodRound 2
Lewis is caught heavy early in the second, but he tries to fire back with strong strikes of his own.
Lewis slips after a short right from Cortes-Acosta connects and can’t seem to get up!
He’s quickly in all sorts of trouble as Cortes-Acosta jumps on him and rains down a stream of thundering, unanswered punches, leading the referee to intervene.
A strange finish and an odd fight, but a decent win for Cortes-Acosta nonetheless.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Derrick Lewis
03:51 , George FloodRound 1
Not the most thrilling round to open, it must be said.
Cortes-Acosta is controlling the pace and tempo, though without doing a whole lot to catch the eye.
He’s just quicker and sharper, with Lewis looking sluggish and subdued as he ends up flat on his back late in the first.
“You’re letting him fight the Waldo fight. He wants a marathon, we need a sprint,” Lewis is told in the corner.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Derrick Lewis
03:42 , George FloodA hard-hitting heavyweight bout is up next in Las Vegas.
No5-ranked Dominican Waldo Cortes-Acosta is up against the vastly experienced 40-year-old Derrick Lewis, who currently sits at No8.
Natalia Silva beats Rose Namajunas by unanimous decision
03:30 , George FloodAll three scorecards read 29-28 in favour of Silva, who wins by unanimous decision to stay unbeaten in the UFC at 8-0 and move to 14 victories in a row overall.
A shot at formidable flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko to come next?
Natalia Silva vs Rose Namajunas
03:27 , George FloodRound 3
Silva looks to be finding her range much better in the third, far more accurate and incisive with her striking and leg kicks.
Namajunas tries to take down Silva but is flipped onto her back expertly by the Brazilian, who finishes the bout with a nice right hand and attempted head kick.
Did she do enough to preserve that long unbeaten streak?
To the judges we go once more...
Natalia Silva vs Rose Namajunas
03:20 , George FloodRound 2
Not much landing from both women here in what is still an extremely cagey contest.
Feints galore and Silva just cannot seem to find her range at all.
She tries to take down her opponent and drives her against the cage, briefly going to the mat before Namajunas springs up swiftly.
More booing as Silva again tries to lock up Namajunas against the fence.
Now Namajunas manoeuvres into the ascendancy and gets the takedown, with Silva in defensive mode on her back.
She defends on the canvas until the buzzer sounds to end round two.
Natalia Silva vs Rose Namajunas
03:13 , George FloodRound 1
Cagey stuff early on, with Namajunas jabbing well and drilling in the leg kicks.
Silva is struggling to find her range initially with both her attempted strikes and leg kicks.
A few high kicks miss from Namajunas, but she lands a smart backhand on the spin.
Namajunas is moving out of range well, judging the distance well throughout this opener.
They tie up for a brief flurry towards the end of the round.
Silva will be very disappointed with that.
Natalia Silva vs Rose Namajunas
03:10 , George FloodUnderway in what is essentially a title eliminator.
Silva is ranked at No2 at flyweight, behind Manon Fiorot, while Namajunas is at No6.
Natalia Silva vs Rose Namajunas
03:05 , George FloodOnly three fights left to go now before Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje go head to head for the UFC’s interim lightweight title.
Our only women’s contest of the night is up next, with former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas up against Brazil’s Natalia Silva, who has won her last 13 fights in a row.
Namajunas, who beat Miranda Maverick last summer to bounce back from defeat by Erin Blanchfield, was originally supposed to meet former flyweight champion Alexa Grasso, who lost to Silva at UFC 315 last year.
However, Grasso pulled out in December through injury.
The winner of this fight could go on to meet current flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko.
Jean Silva beats Arnold Allen by unanimous decision
02:52 , George Flood30-27, 29-28, 29-28 - all in favour of Silva, who wins by unanimous decision.
Hard to argue. A brilliant fight to begin the main card and a superb effort from Allen.
Silva was in tears at the end there and apologising to Allen, telling him - through a translator - that he taught him a lot.
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva
02:50 , George FloodRound 3
Silva tries to land an eye-catching high kick instantly in round three.
Silva with a nice body to head combination, now uncorking three successive right hands in a blur.
Allen tries to wrap him up to stop Silva’s momentum, attempting the takedown and taking his back near the fence.
But Silva rolls out of it expertly.
Silva evades another high kick and now has Allen driven against the fence, ‘Almighty’ going down twice during grapples but quickly getting back up.
A spinning elbow attempt from Silva doesn’t land. Allen needs to pick up the pace here as he is losing what could well be the decisive round.
Silva points to the middle of the octagon and lands some wincing punches and high kicks, throwing Allen to the ground and then standing on his back!
Talk about disrespect. That should have been enough for Silva to clinch a hard-fought win, though Allen’s camp felt he had won the first two rounds.
We await the all-important judges’ scorecards...
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva
02:43 , George FloodRound 2
A heavy shot from Allen early in the second buzzes Silva and forces him back.
But the first takedown comes from Silva, with Allen quickly back up on his feet before both men exchange huge blows in the middle of the octagon.
Allen is fighting fire with fire here, driving home his strong left hand whenever possible.
What a flying knee from the Englishman!
But Silva comes roaring back quickly with a formidable right hand that lands flush.
And another, but there’s a crushing knee to the midriff from Allen in response.
Momentum continues to swing sharply back and forth in a pulsating fight.
Allen is landing more kicks to the calf, but Silva lands more solid rights hands.
A crisp counter right from Allen lands after he deflects a high kick, but Allen absorbs more big shots late on.
A superb round, this is a tough, tough bout to score.
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva
02:38 , George FloodRound 1
Some nice left hands from Allen find their mark early on.
He then narrowly misses with a massive swing of the left foot towards Silva’s head before the Brazilian kicks well to the body.
Silva forces Allen back with a solid flurry that is performatively shaken off by the man from Suffolk, who is nailing kicks to both calves.
This is great from Allen, who drills through another series of combinations.
He looks locked in and focused, until he gets smashed with an elbow with seconds to go in the first and is left hanging on as Silva suddenly explodes into life.
A right hand and huge kick from the Brazilian, who jumped into a massive attempted knee.
A little push from Allen after the buzzer.
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva
02:32 , George FloodThe main card is underway!
This is a huge challenge for Arnold Allen in his first fight for 18 months.
Jean Silva is so dangerous.
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva
02:25 , George FloodAllen is currently ranked at No6 in the featherweight division, while Silva is at No10.
Alexander Volkanovski is of course defending the 145lbs title in a rematch with No2-ranked Diego Lopes at UFC 325 in Sydney next weekend.
Silva vs Lopes was Fight of the Night in San Antonio in September, with the in-form Silva unravelling due to a massive elbow that stopped him in round two.
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva
02:19 , George FloodPaddy Pimblett is not the only English fighter on tonight’s main card at the T-Mobile Arena.
Opening proceedings shortly is Arnold Allen, the man who hails from the village of Trimley St. Martin in Suffolk.
This is a first fight for ‘Almighty’ - a big Ipswich Town fan - since he outpointed Giga Chikadze in Manchester in July 2024.
He had previously won his first 10 fights in the UFC before suffering successive decision losses to Max Holloway and Movsar Evloev.
He has a very tough test tonight against Brazil’s Jean Silva, who is looking to bounce back from a first UFC loss at the hands of Diego Lopes last September.
Dominick Cruz inducted into UFC Hall of Fame
02:03 , George FloodA nice moment before the main card kicks off as two-time bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz - who is a TV analyst for tonight’s event - becomes the latest inductee into the UFC Hall of Fame.
Fully deserved.
Umar Nurmagomedov beats Deiveson Figueiredo by unanimous decision
01:59 , George FloodAll three judges score the bout 30-27 in favour of Nurmagomedov, who moves to 20-1 in his career overall and 8-1 in the UFC.
He now has back-to-back wins since his title defeat by Merab Dvalishvili 12 months ago, having also outpointed Mario Bautista in Abu Dhabi in October.
A third defeat in his last four fights for Figueiredo, who got a split-decision victory over Montel Jackson after losing to both Petr Yan and Cory Sandhagen.
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo
01:55 , George FloodRound 3
Most of the third round is spent with Figueiredo under a lot of gruelling pressure on the mat after Nurmagomedov’s takedowns.
He never threatens a finish, but is in total control of proceedings and oblivious to the boos.
We’ll go the judges’ scorecards again, but this should be a comfortable win for Nurmagomedov - if not the prettiest.
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo
01:50 , George FloodThe amount of booing from this crowd tonight when a fight doesn’t produce an instant highlight-reel knockout is really disappointing.
Disrespectful and spoilt.
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo
01:49 , George FloodRound 2
One-way traffic for the composed and methodical Nurmagomedov, cousin of Khabib and older brother of Usman.
He is controlling things nicely, until Figueiredo comes alive towards the end of round two and lands a couple of fierce strikes that have the Russian rattled.
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo
01:44 , George FloodWe are well underway in the headline fight of tonight’s prelim bill at the T-Mobile Arena.
No2-ranked bantamweight Umar Nurmagomedov is up against former two-time UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo, who missed weight by 2.5lbs yesterday.
A dominant opening round from Nurmagomedov.
Ateba Gautier beats Andrey Pulyaev by unanimous decision
01:29 , George FloodHere come the judges’ scorecards:
30-27, 29-28, 29-28 - all in favour of Gautier, who wins by unanimous decision to stay unbeaten in the UFC and move to 4-0.
His first decision win, deserved but massive credit to Pulyaev for lasting the three full rounds against one of the UFC’s most devastating prospects.
Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev
01:27 , George FloodRound 3
Gautier absorbs another couple of stiff kicks to the torso and lets his hands go in response, but Pulyaev manages to evade some big shots.
Pulyaev then lands a head kick but Gautier quickly responds in kind.
More booing from the disgruntled crowd with Gautier looking very passive and a bit lethargic at the moment as the seconds tick away in this final round.
Pulyaev with yet more success kicking to the body - he’s drilled in so many of those tonight.
Gautier is doing nothing now of note despite always walking down Pulyaev and the crowd don’t like it one bit.
It goes the distance and we will go to a decision for the first time tonight.
Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev
01:20 , George FloodRound 2
Gautier has a bloodied nose as he continues to absorb strikes and body kicks from Pulyaev, shrugging them off, walking through and trying to keep the pressure on.
Gautier gets through with a solid punch and suddenly Pulyaev is down again.
He quickly gets back up, but now he’s buzzed by a huge right hand and Gautier is driving home those shuddering knees in search of the stoppage.
Pulyaev manages to escape and responds by trying to detonate a couple of head kicks.
Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev
01:14 , George FloodRound 1
Gautier - who is absolutely massive for a middleweight - puts Pulyaev on his backside with his first strike!
All three of his opening UFC fights have produced emphatic first-round stoppages.
An already bloodied Pulyaev comes back with some leg kicks and knees, but Gautier is repeatedly landing with that right hand.
Pulyaev is trying to keep ‘The Storm’ at bay with repeated leg kicks, but he’s quickly caught again.
Gautier slips after being nailed by a swift counter from Pulyaev, who continues to kick to the body well.
Pulyaev with another solid body kick and left hand, credit to his response there to such an early setback.
Gautier is taken to a second round for the first time in the UFC.
Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev
01:08 , George FloodOne of the UFC’s most exciting and talented prospects is now on his way to the octagon.
It’s time for powerful Manchester-based Cameroonian middleweight Ateba ‘The Storm’ Gautier.
He’s up against Russia’s Andrey Pulyaev. This should be explosive...
Nikita Krylov stops Modestas Bukauskas in final round
00:56 , George FloodRound 3
Krylov with a big left early in the third and final round as he also tries to land the spinning kick.
This remains very cagey fare with Krylov continually walking down Bukauskas, who is constantly on the back foot trying to counter.
He needs to step things up quickly and lands a lovely leg kick.
But Krylov is quickly back to applying the pressure and dictating the tempo as more boos are audible inside the T-Mobile Arena.
Bukauskas, with his chin hanging in the air, is flattened by a bruising right hand with mere seconds to go in the fight!
With his opponent laying helpless on his belly, Krylov rains down the follow-up blows in search of a last-gasp finish... and gets it!
Wow.
Nikita Krylov vs Modestas Bukauskas
00:48 , George FloodRound 2
Krylov with a couple more untidy rushes early in the second as Bukauskas tries to rattle home some quick-fire counters in response.
Both men spend time pinned against the fence and there are more boos from the crowd.
Krylov is finding a home with these low kicks and knees, though Bukauskas responds.
A nice combination from Bukauskas is followed by a crisp counter from Krylov.
Krylov is driving home more low leg kicks as Bukauskas loads up in search of a big shot and gets countered.
This fight has yet to catch fire, it’s fair to say.
Nikita Krylov vs Modestas Bukauskas
00:43 , George FloodRound 1
Krylov is wasting no time with the takedown attempts as he then quickly traps Bukauskas against the fence.
Attritional stuff early on and already some murmurings of discontent in a crowd that have seen three successive first-round stoppages so far tonight.
Krylov is trying to land plenty of high kicks and both men have connected with decent-looking, solid strikes.
Krylov with a couple of risky lunges now that aren’t punished by his opponent.
We will finally get through a whole round!
Nikita Krylov vs Modestas Bukauskas
00:37 , George FloodWe next pay a visit to the light-heavyweight scene, where seasoned Russian competitor Nikita ‘The Miner’ Krylov, ranked at 13th in the division, is out to bounce back from successive losses to Dominick Reyes and Bogdan Guskov.
He’s up against Modestas Bukauskas, ‘The Baltic Gladiator’ from Lithuania based in London who has won his last four fights against Marcin Prachnio, Raffael Cerqueira, Ion Cutelaba and Scotland’s Paul Craig, whom he stopped in the first round with a vicious elbow in Paris last September.
Alex Perez stops Charles Johnson in first round
00:24 , George FloodThree fights, three first-round stoppages! These new bonuses are working wonders, Dana.
Johnson is first floored by a monster left hand that lands flush on the temple.
He just about recovers, but the confident Perez is well on top and soon sends him to the canvas again with a fearsome left hook.
The referee waves it off but Johnson hasn’t realised as he’s still chasing Perez across the octagon and shooting for a takedown.
Alex Perez vs Charles Johnson
00:21 , George FloodHere we go!
Perez was one of two fighters to miss weight yesterday, along with former two-time flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.
They were both permitted to fight, but will be fined 25 per cent of their purses.
Main prelims set to begin
00:01 , George FloodThat does it for the shortened early prelim bill in Las Vegas.
The main prelims are up next at the T-Mobile Arena, headlined by Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo at bantamweight and also featuring Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev and Nikita Krylov vs Modestas Bukauskas.
We will first go to flyweight, where Alex Perez meets Charles Johnson in an intriguing showdown.
Josh Hokit calls out Waldo Cortes-Acosta
Saturday 24 January 2026 23:54 , George FloodSo that’s 2-0 now in the UFC for former Contender Series competitor Josh Hokit, an All-American wrestler at Fresno State who also spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals in the NFL.
He started his MMA career in Bellator, but his microphone skills would be more at home in the WWE.
A very choreographed and entertaining speech after his win to Joe Rogan, in which he calls out Waldo Cortes-Acosta and questions the latter’s parenting skills, also talking about Brittney Griner for some reason.
Cortes-Acosta is in action later on tonight against Derrick Lewis.
Josh Hokit stops Denzel Freeman in first round
Saturday 24 January 2026 23:46 , George FloodRound 1
Former All-American wrestler Hokit shoots for and successfully makes the first takedown within seconds.
Freeman is stunned as he looks to recover and manoeuvre himself towards the fence so he can try and get back to his feet.
He manages it, but Hokit is so aggressive and high tempo, he’s all over an overwhelmed Freeman and letting his hands go.
Freeman is on his knees as Hokit throws down a flurry of heavy shots and then goes to take his chin.
Now Hokit is on his opponent’s back, thumping in the punches with Freeman again defending on his knees.
Freeman is back to his feet again, but takes more powerful strikes including a fizzing uppercut and is taken down again acrobatically by Hokit, who also delivers a fearsome knee to the body.
Hokit continues to drive in the punches, knees and kicks, Freeman literally just runs away and backs up against the fence.
Hokit walks away from him and the referee waves it off just before the horn!
Utter dominance.
Justin Gaethje relishing 'huge opportunity' at UFC 324
Saturday 24 January 2026 23:33 , George FloodJustin Gaethje may not quite be the same sensational force of old at 37, but he believes he is fully deserving of his spot in tonight’s main event.
"It's been a hell of a ride," Gaethje said this week.
"I'm blessed to be given such huge opportunities by the company.
“This is a huge opportunity to be the main event red (higher-ranked) corner of the first Paramount card.
“I know they trust me.
“They know I'm the most consistent guy, the most exciting guy, and that's probably why I'm here."
Josh Hokit vs Denzel Freeman
Saturday 24 January 2026 23:27 , George FloodTo the heavyweight division we go next.
Unbeaten former Contender Series winner Josh Hokit is up against Denzel ‘Luke Fox’ Freeman.
Hokit will be out to follow up on his Performance of the Night first-round stoppage of Max Gimenis in November.
Ty Miller beats Adam Fugitt in first round on UFC debut
Saturday 24 January 2026 23:20 , George FloodRound 1
Miller, making his UFC debut tonight, is raining down the vicious strikes in this opening round, showing his boxing skills as a two-time Golden Gloves winner as he dominates the upright exchanges.
The older Fugitt’s face is already a mess, though he has had some success with knees to the body and a nasty spinning elbow that busts open Miller’s face.
Fugitt is floored by a massive left hook, right hand combination towards the end of the first!
He survives the following onslaught but Miller is swarming all over him, delivering another shuddering right hand that is followed by a brutal knee and more punishing blows.
The fight is waved off by the referee with a second left in the first round - what a debut in the UFC for Ty Miller.
Adam Fugitt vs Ty Miller
Saturday 24 January 2026 23:14 , George FloodBruce Buffer is in the octagon, which can only mean one thing - it’s time to get this show on the road.
Tonight’s early prelim bill at the T-Mobile Arena begins with a welterweight battle between Adam Fugitt and Ty Miller.
Miller is landing some sharp strikes in the opening exchanges...
Paddy Pimblett looking to add another major UFC scalp to CV
Saturday 24 January 2026 23:08 , George FloodThough Paddy Pimblett goaded Justin Gaethje yesterday about his weight cut amid other barbs, he has spoken plenty about his respect for a UFC household name in recent weeks as he targets another major scalp after his destruction of Michael Chandler last year.
"It's going to be nice to have another legend's name on me resume," Pimblett said.
"It's an honor to share the octagon with him.
“He's someone I've been watching for years and years. He's had some of the best fights I've ever watched in the UFC.
“That's what we're in this game for, the people you watch. You want to eventually fight them and beat them.
"It's an honour to be the main event of the first Paramount card.
“It shows how much the UFC trusts me and Justin to put on a good fight, and it's world title fight.
“It would be insane after 16 years for this to happen, and it's finally here."
Cameron Smotherman fight cancelled after weigh-in collapse
Saturday 24 January 2026 22:58 , George FloodWe have lost one fight from tonight’s prelim card in Las Vegas after a really scary moment during yesterday’s weigh-ins.
American bantamweight Cameron Smotherman collapsed on stage after stepping off the scales, falling on his face before being treated and carried away.
His fight with Ricky Turcios was quickly cancelled.
"I am not entirely sure what happened," Smotherman said later.
"I came in pretty low, the course of this week I didn't cut much weight.
"I have more tests to get to the bottom of it.
“For all the people saying I must have done a crazy cut, I cut very, very little weight."
Amanda Nunes comeback fight postponed after Kayla Harrison surgery
Saturday 24 January 2026 22:48 , George FloodThe first numbered UFC card of the year was also supposed to be memorable for the return of MMA royalty in Amanda Nunes.
It is two-and-a-half years now since the former two-weight UFC champion retired after retaining her bantamweight crown against Irene Aldana.
But last summer she declared that she was coming back to fight the winner of Julianna Pena vs Kayla Harrison for the bantamweight belt.
Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and former world champion in judo, won by submission at UFC 316 to tee up a super-fight with Nunes.
However, sadly Harrison needed surgery earlier this month to repair herniated discs in her neck and the bout was postponed.
UFC 324 fight card in full
Saturday 24 January 2026 22:39 , George FloodMain card
Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett (interim men’s lightweight title)
Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong (bantamweight)
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs Derrick Lewis (heavyweight)
Natalia Silva vs Rose Namajunas (women’s flyweight)
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva (featherweight)
Prelims
Umar Nurmagomedov vs Deiveson Figueiredo (bantamweight)
Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev (middleweight)
Nikita Krylov vs Modestas Bukauskas (light-heavyweight)
Alex Perez vs Charles Johnson (flyweight)
Early prelims
Josh Hokit vs Denzel Freeman (heavyweight)
Adam Fugitt vs Ty Miller (welterweight)
How to watch UFC 324
Saturday 24 January 2026 22:35 , George FloodTV channel: Tonight’s event is the first in the UFC’s new mammoth seven-year broadcasting deal with Paramount+ announced last summer that is said to be worth a total of £5.7billion.
It can be watched in the UK through discovery+, Sky, EE TV, Prime Video and Virgin Media TV.
The main card is available to purchase via TNT Sports Box Office at a cost of £19.99. The main prelim bill is being shown live from 12am GMT on TNT Sports 1.
The early prelim fights are being screened on UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s in-house subscription-based streaming service that currently costs from £7.99 a month in the UK.
Live stream: Those with a TNT Sports subscription can watch the main prelims through the discovery+ app and website, plus the main card once purchased.
UFC 324 live
Saturday 24 January 2026 22:31 , George FloodPaddy Pimblett will hope to be crowned as the UFC’s interim lightweight champion tonight.
The Liverpool favourite meets Justin Gaethje in a massive main event of UFC 324 in Las Vegas, nine months after his destructive, career-best win over Michael Chandler in Miami.
With lightweight title-holder Ilia Topuria currently away from the octagon dealing with personal issues, the man they call ‘Paddy the Baddy’ will hope to take temporary control of the 155-pound division.
The early prelims at the T-Mobile Arena will be underway very shortly, with the main prelim bill at 12am GMT and the main card from 2am.
Stick with Standard Sport for live updates throughout the night.
