UFC 324 lands in Las Vegas with a strange mix of familiar faces and new energy. Justin Gaethje is back in a title fight, while Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett finally gets the spotlight his ego has wanted for years. They headed on Saturday January 24, 2026, at T-Mobile Arenaand they’re doing it with an interim lightweight title on the line, in the first numbered UFC event of the new Paramount+ broadcast era.
What can you expect from the Gaethje vs. Pimblett fight?
On paper, this is the classic UFC crossroads story: the proven veteran fighter against the momentum of the contender who has learned how to win ugly when necessary.
Slave, 37 and with a record of 26-5comes up with the kind of resume that doesn’t need any marketing. A nine times Fight of the night winner and a five-time Performance of the night winner, Gaethje has a habit of turning tough matches into one of the best shows of the UFC year. On the other side of the octagonPimblett does 31, 23-3, and heavily motivated: This is his first real chance to validate the idea that he belongs in the elite lightweight conversation.
Stylistically, the differences are quite relevant. Gaethje’s production is built for violence: Looking at the snapshot of the stats, he sits at 6.59 punches landed per minute, a number that shows both speed and comfort in extended exchanges. Pimblett’s profile is very different though, as he is more of an opportunist on the mat, with a much higher submission rate (1.68 subs per 15 minutes), plus a frequency of takedown attempts that indicates he won’t be shy about changing levels when the moment comes.
The first few minutes should tell the story of the fight. If Gaethje is able to plant his feet, chop off the legs and keep Pimblett on the end of punishing combinations, the fight could be a tough welcome to the “top five” nights for Pimblett. But if the Brit can get Gaethje to respond (shams, threatening in the clingwhere each exchange ends with a grab), he turns it into the kind of messy, exhausting fight where one slip becomes a takeback.
The psychological game is real in this fight. For now, both men are talking as if they expect consequences. Pimblett has settled on the idea that this will be a damaging night for Gaethje, promising that the veteran “won’t be physically the same” afterward. And Gaethje, speaking openly about the back end of his career, has spoken of his desire to retire in 2027, framing this as part of a final step towards undisputed gold.
That’s why the interim belt is more important than just the hardware: it’s not just “Gaethje’s final run” or “Pimblett’s arrival.” It’s all about who gets to be at the front of the line when the division champion is ready to return.
Where can you watch the UFC 324 fight?
This is the part that matters when you watch Canada: Sportsnet is the home of the UFC in Canada, and UFC 324 is offered via Sportsnet+, with the main card available as a separate PPV purchase (Sportsnet notes that you don’t need a Sportsnet+ subscription to purchase the PPV, but a subscription does include PPV prelims and UFC Fight Nights).
Canadian tee times
UFC324 has an earlier than old PPV norm main card start: the main card starts at 9:00 PM Eastern, with prelims at 7:00 PM Eastern, and early prelims at 5:00 PM Eastern. Converted across Canada:
- Newfoundland (NST): Early heats 6:30 PM, preliminary rounds 8:30 PM, main card 10:30 PM
- Atlantic Ocean (AST): Early heats 6:00 PM, preliminary rounds 8:00 PM, main card 10:00 PM
- Eastern (ET – Toronto/Montreal/Ottawa): Early heats 5:00 PM, preliminary rounds 7:00 PM, main card 9:00 PM
- Central (CT – Winnipeg): Early heats 4:00 PM, preliminary rounds 6:00 PM, main card 8:00 PM
- Berg (MT – Calgary/Edmonton): Early heats 3:00 PM, preliminary rounds 5:00 PM, main card 7:00 PM
- Pacific Ocean (PT – Vancouver/Victoria): Early heats 2:00 PM, preliminary rounds 4:00 PM, main card 6:00 PM
What to do between fights
In long events like this, even if the wait time between fights isn’t that long, there is a lot of downtime. And considering there are four hours between the early prelims and the main card, it’s easy to get bored with the less interesting fights. That’s where smartphones can lend a helping hand, as you can use those cooldown minutes to check the main event predictions, to play online casino games with MMA-related themes, to view the statistics of the fights you are looking for, or to see what social media expects from the match.
Ilia Topuria and other fighters join the fight
If the matchup itself is a style clash, the fighter’s statements surrounding it are a complete split decision.
One camp is backing Gaethje for the reasons you’d expect: experience, proven toughness through five rounds and the idea that Pimblett hasn’t faced that level of danger yet. In that bucket we find names like Dustin Poirier, Arman Tsarukyan, Dan Hooker, Eddie Alvarez and Khalil Rountreelargely citing Gaethje’s strength and resume in big-fight moments.
Tsarukyan’s comments were also the least subtle in that regard. “I hope it’s Gaethje because I don’t like Paddy,” he told Demetrious Johnson. It wasn’t a technical glitch, but it does highlight that there is a section of the lightweight elite who treat Pimblett as an outsider until he proves otherwise.
However, there is another champion who is buying into Pimblett’s rise. Ilia Topuria is among those who single out the Brit for battle, and he is not alone: Sean O’Malley, Alexander Volkanovski, Arnold Allen, Tony Ferguson and Demetrious Johnson choose him too. The reasoning there is consistent: Pimblett’s momentum is real, his wrestling threat changes the geometry of every exchange, and if Gaethje gives him even a small opening, Pimblett has shown he can capitalize on it.
This all comes back to the same core question: is Pimblett’s best path to victory reliable enough against a man who punishes every mistake, or is Gaethje’s violence too consistent over five rounds? The verdicts are divided because the battle is divided: clean hitting versus messy wrestling, veteran damage versus younger opportunism, the known good versus the bet.
#Gaethje #Pimblett #Preview #UFC #Main #Event