The first event of the UFC’s new era on Paramount+ begins Saturday with UFC 324 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Kicking off the next chapter in the promotion’s illustrious history is an interim championship bout. In the main event, Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) takes on Paddy Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) for the right to unify with undefeated titleholder Ilia Topuria.
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For more on the numbers behind the stacked card, which features former champions, surging contenders and more, check below for MMA Junkie’s pre-event facts for UFC 324.
Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett
Justin Gaethje
Justin Gaethje, UFC 313
Gaethje can become the first two-time interim champion in UFC history.
Gaethje is the only fighter MMA history to win titles in UFC and WSOF.
Gaethje is the only fighter in UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in each of his first three promotional appearances.
Gaethje lands 58.8 percent of significant strike attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the second-best rate in divisional history behind Islam Makhachev (59.5 percent).
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Gaethje is the only fighter in UFC history to win at least one fight-night bonus in each of his first seven octagon appearances.
Gaethje has been awarded 14 fight-night bonuses in 14 UFC appearances.
Gaethje’s 14 UFC fight-night bonuses since 2017 are most of any fighter in the company.
Gaethje’s nine Fight of the Night bonuses in UFC competition are third-most in company history behind Dustin Poirier (10) and Edson Barboza (10).
Paddy Pimblett
Pimblett’s seven-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Pimblett has earned five of his seven UFC victories by stoppage.
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Sean O’Malley, UFC 316
Sean O’Malley (18-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) enters the event with consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since March 2024.
O’Malley is one of nine fighters to hold the undisputed UFC bantamweight championship.
O’Malley is one of three fighters to win a UFC championship after being signed to the promotion through Dana White’s Contender Series. Jack Della Maddalena and Jamahal Hill also accomplished the feat.
O’Malley’s six knockout victories in UFC bantamweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind T.J. Dillashaw (seven).
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O’Malley lands 61.2 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
O’Malley landed 230 significant strikes at UFC 299, the single-fight record for a UFC bantamweight championship bout.
O’Malley’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC bantamweight bouts are most in divisional history.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Derrick Lewis
Derrick Lewis, UFC on ESPN 70
Derrick Lewis (29-12 MMA, 20-10 UFC) competes in his 31st UFC heavyweight bout, the second-most appearances in divisional history behind Andrei Arlovski (42).
Lewis is one of 13 fighters in history to earn 20 or more UFC victories.
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Lewis’ 20 victories in UFC heavyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Arlovski (23).
Lewis’ 16 stoppage victories in UFC heavyweight competition are most in divisional history.
Lewis’ 16 stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Donald Cerrone for third-most in company history behind Charles Oliveira (21) and Jim Miller (19).
Lewis’ 16 knockout victories in UFC competition are most in company history.
Lewis’ 16 knockout victories in UFC competition stemming from punches are the most in company history.
Lewis’ nine knockouts stemming from ground strikes in UFC competition are most in company history.
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Lewis’ 11 knockdowns landed in UFC heavyweight competition are second-most in divisional history behind Junior Dos Santos (14).
Lewis’ eight fight-night bonuses for UFC heavyweight bouts are tied with Stefan Struve for second-most in divisional history behind Stipe Miocic (nine).
Natalia Silva, UFC 315
Natalia Silva’s (19-5-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) seven-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Silva’s two knockdowns landed in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Taila Santos (three) and Ariane Da Silva (three).
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Silva is one of five fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head. She accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 215.
Silva defends 92.3 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC women’s flyweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
Silva’s two fight-night bonuses for UFC women’s flyweight bouts are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Molly McCann (three) and Carli Judice (three).
Rose Namajunas (14-7 MMA, 12-6 UFC) was the first female in UFC history to have multiple title reigns in a single weight class. She’s one of five fighters to accomplish the feat, along with Amanda Nunes, Carla Esparza, Zhang Weili and Julianna Peña.
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Namajunas is 3-2 since she moved up to the women’s flyweight division in September 2023.
Namajunas’ five stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Jessica Andrade (six).
Namajunas’ three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second-most in divisional history behind Mackenzie Dern (five).
Namajunas’ submission of Paige VanZant at the 2:25 mark of Round 5 at UFC Fight Night 80 is the latest stoppage in UFC strawweight history.
Namajunas’ six fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are third-most in divisional history behind Andrade (nine) and Dern (seven).
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Arnold Allen vs. Jean Silva
Jul 6, 2019; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Gilbert Melendez (red gloves) fights against Arnold Allen (blue gloves) at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Arnold Allen (20-3 MMA, 11-2 UFC) is one of six fighters in UFC history to start 10-0 in the octagon. Anderson Silva, Kamaru Usman, Alexander Volkanovski, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.
Allen is one of 14 fighters in UFC history to earn 10 consecutive UFC victories.
Jean Silva (16-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) has earned 15 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. That includes all five of his UFC wins.
Silva’s two UFC victories in a 14-day stretch between UFC 303 and UFC on ESPN 59 is tied for the third-shortest turnaround in modern company history. Khamzat Chimaev holds the record at 10 days.
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 13: Deiveson Figueiredo of Brazil celebrates defeating Cody Garbrandt during their bantamweight fight at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Deiveson Figueiredo (25-5-1 MMA, 14-5-1 UFC), a former two-time flyweight champion, is 4-2 since he moved up to the UFC bantamweight division in December 2023.
Figueiredo is one of six flyweight champions in UFC history. Joshua Van Alexandre Pantoja, Brandon Moreno, Henry Cejudo and Demetrious Johnson also held the title. He and Moreno are the only members of the group to have multiple reigns.
Figueiredo and Moreno are the only opponents in UFC history to face each other four times.
Figueiredo made the fastest title-fight turnaround in UFC history at 21 days at UFC 255 and UFC 256.
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Figueiredo’s seven stoppage victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied with Johnson for second-most in divisional history behind Pantoja (eight).
Figueiredo’s four knockout victories in UFC flyweight competition are tied for third-most in divisional history behind Joseph Benavidez (five) and Manel Kape (five).
Figueiredo’s 11 knockdowns landed in UFC flyweight competition are tied for most in divisional history.
Nikita Krylov vs. Modestas Bukauskas
Nikita Krylov (29-11 MMA, 11-9 UFC) is 4-6 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in September 2018.
Krylov has earned 27 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 22 of those wins in Round 1.
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Modestas Bukauskas (19-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) improved 6-1 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2023.
Bukauskas’ four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is the third-longest active streak in the division behind Carlos Ulberg (nine) and Azamat Murzakanov (five).
Bukauskas has earned 14 of his 19 career victories by stoppage.
Alex Perez vs. Charles Johnson
Alex Perez’s (24-10 MMA, 6-6 UFC) average fight time of 6:43 in UFC flyweight competition is third-shortest in divisional history behind Daniel Lacerda (4:19) and Malcolm Gordon (6:28).
Perez has recorded one of 18 finishes in UFC history stemming from leg kicks. He accomplished the feat at UFC 250.
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Michael Johnson vs. Alexander Hernandez
Michael Johnson (24-19 MMA, 16-15 UFC) competes in his 28th UFC lightweight bout, the third-most appearances in divisional history behind Miller (43) and Clay Guida (30).
Johnson is 5-5 since he returned to the lightweight division in October 2019.
Johnson’s 13 knockdowns landed in UFC lightweight competition are tied with Melvin Guillard for most in divisional history.
Alexander Hernandez’s (18-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) five-fight UFC winning streak at lightweight is tied for the third-longest active streak in the division behind Pimblett (seven) and Fares Ziam (six).
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UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on X @MJCflipdascript.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 324 pre-event facts: Justin Gaethje can make interim title history
