The time for talking is done. Now, it’s all about the action inside the Octagon. UFC kicks off its run on Paramount+ on Saturday with UFC 324 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main event sees an interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett as both men jockey for position in the loaded 155-pound division.
Saturday night kicks off the beginning of the Paramount+ era where all you need is a subscription to the service to catch all the action. With the new move comes some changes. The main card that were always slated to begin at 10 p.m. ET are now going one hour earlier. That also means that the entire slate of events is moved up one hour. So the early prelims will start at 5 p.m. ET and the televised prelims at 7 p.m. ET.
Gaethje is one of the most beloved action fighters of all time. He’s earned 14 performance bonuses for his knockouts and willingness to throw down. He’s held the interim title before but came up short when attempting to unify with the full champion.
“I’m happy I’m the underdog and I’m happy to be fighting someone so confident with so much momentum behind them because one thing you must understand in this game is, I don’t care how confident you are, you better be perfect,” Gaethje said. “And he’s going to make mistakes and I’m going to take advantage of his mistakes. I’ve said it before but I don’t plan on being alive after Saturday night. I have to tell myself that he’s going to kill me so that I can go into my most primal place.
“I love the pressure, I love the moments and I love the adrenaline — it’s the best drug in the world.”
Pimblett, meanwhile, is 7-0 since joining the promotion in 2021 with five stoppages. The former Cage Warriors lightweight champion faces by far his stiffest challenge to date as he hopes to continue his incredible run and rapid ascent.
The card also features some former champions and rising contenders looking to make a splash. That begins in the main card opener when Jean Silva takes on Arnold Allen at featherweight. Silva is coming off a tough loss to Diego Lopes but remains a dangerous out for anyone in the 145-pound division. Plus, former women’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas takes on a difficult test in the fast rising contender Natalia Silva. Big boys also support the main card when heavyweights Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Derrick Lewis collide. And former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley looks to get back on track when he faces the hard-hitting Song Yadong in the co-main event.
Below is how you can catch all the action on Saturday night from Las Vegas. Be sure to check out some of our best bets for the main card before everything gets underway.
