The UFC is back home in Las Vegas after a lengthy holiday break, and an interim title fight headlines the debut on Paramount+.
Here’s how to watch UFC 324, where the lightweight title picture will get a lot clearer in the desert and the promotion officially waves bye-bye to ESPN.
Advertisement
Broadcast and streaming info
UFC 324 has a main card that airs at 9 p.m. ET – an hour earlier than numbered pay-per-view main cards used to start. And for the first time, those pay-per-views are history. Everything will be streamed on Paramount+ for subscribers. The preliminary card streams on Paramount+, as well, at 6 p.m. ET. Because it’s all one broadcast platform from the start of the show till the end, it appears the days of “early prelims” are over, as well.
Stay tuned to MMA Junkie for additional broadcast details later this week.
-
Record: 26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC
-
Key wins: Rafael Fiziev (twice), Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, Donald Cerrone), Edson Barboza
-
Misc.: Gaethje has 14 bonuses in 14 UFC fights, which makes him the most reliable bonus hound in UFC history. After the UFC 300 KO loss to Max Holloway with one second left that will live on in highlight reels forever, he rebounded with a second decision win over Fiziev.
Main event: Paddy Pimblett
-
Record: 23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC
-
Opponent: Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vs. Paddy Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC)
-
Key wins: Michael Chandler, King Green, Tony Ferguson
-
Misc.: Pimblett, from Liverpool, has had a quick rise to UFC stardom. Five of his seven UFC wins are by stoppage – and all five of those have resulted in post-fight bonuses.
-
Record: 18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC
-
Opponent: Song Yadong (22-8-1 MMA, 11-3-1 UFC)
-
Key wins: Marlon Vera, Aljamain Sterling, Petr Yan
-
Misc.: O’Malley’s bantamweight title reign lasted only 13 months before he was supplanted by Merab Dvalishvili, who took the belt from him, then submitted him in a rematch this past June.
Advertisement
Co-main event: Song Yadong
-
Record: 22-8-1 MMA, 11-3-1 UFC
-
Opponent: Sean O’Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC)
-
Key wins: Henry Cejudo, Chris Gutierrez, Ricky Simon, Marlon Vera
-
Misc.: Song has won three of his past four fights. Eleven months ago, he won a technical decision over former two-division champ Cejudo, the biggest name on his resume.
UFC debut: Ty Miller
-
Opponent: Adam Fugitt (10-5 MMA, 2-3 UFC)
-
Misc.: A decision win over Jimmy Drago this past August on DWCS got Miller, who also has a pair of LFA wins on his resume, into the UFC.
UFC 324 lineup
MAIN CARD (Paramount+, 9 p.m. ET)
-
Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett – for interim lightweight title
-
Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong
-
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Derrick Lewis
-
Arnold Allen vs. Jean Silva
PRELIMINARY CARD (Paramount+, 6 p.m. ET)
-
Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
-
Ateba Gautier vs. Andrey Pulyaev
-
Modestas Bukauskas vs. Nikita Krylov
-
Charles Johnson vs. Alex Perez
-
Alexander Hernandez vs. Michael Johnson
-
Denzel Freeman vs. Josh Hokit
-
Cameron Smotherman vs. Ricky Turcios
-
Adam Fugitt vs. Ty Miller
UFC 324 main card betting odds
-
Gaethje +185, Pimblett -245
-
O’Malley -220, Yadong +170
-
Cortes-Acosta -330, Lewis +240
-
Silva -440, Namajunas +310
UFC 324 prelim betting odds
-
Figueiredo +750, Nurmagomedov -1600
-
Gautier -1000, Pulyaev +560
-
Bukauskas -160, Krylov +125
-
Hernandez -170, Johnson +135
-
Smotherman -205, Turcios +160
UFC 324 preview videos
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 324: How to watch Gaethje vs. Pimblett, Vegas lineup, odds, more
