In the first numbered UFC event of 2026, T-Mobile Arena played host to a packed fight card, including a bout for the interim lightweight title that had the crowd on the edge of their seats.
UFC 323 power rankings
RDX Sports’Editor-in-chief and experienced MMA writer Simon Head takes a look at the main card winners and presents his Power Rankings for UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett.
Justin slave
Simply put, at UFC 324, Justin Gaethje did Justin Gaethje things. He went into the trenches, barely took a step back and delivered a thrashing to the remarkably good and durable Paddy Pimblett to capture the vacant interim lightweight title for the second time in his career.
Gaethje entered the fight as the betting underdog, with prevailing wisdom suggesting that, with plenty of miles under his belt and more than his fair share of wars ravaging his now 37-year-old body, he might not have enough for the pulsating Pimblett, who had looked so good against Michael Chandler last time out.
But on fight night, Gaethje reminded the MMA world that despite saying he’s entering the final stages of his career, he’s far from done as an elite-level fighter.
In short, it was exactly the kind of performance we’ve come to expect from “The Highlight” over the years, and it sets him up for a big fight next. Whether it’s a shot at undisputed champion Ilia Topuria – who is currently on a self-imposed hiatus to handle personal matters outside the sport – or even a BMF title rematch with Max Holloway, who so dramatically put him on the map in the final second of their thriller at UFC 300, there is at least one more big fight in Gaethje’s future.
And whoever he ends up fighting, you know you want to watch it.
Sean O’Malley
Heading into his fight with Chinese contender Song Yadong, it felt like there were major question marks surrounding Sean O’Malley as a 135-pound title contender.
Sure, he had reached the top bantamweight bracket and was looking pretty good. But the manner of his loss to Merab Dvalishvili and then his subsequent loss to “The Machine” in their title rematch left some wondering if O’Malley could make that leap to the top again.
Against Song, it felt like a real test of his credentials, and he passed that test with flying colors.
Song gave him all the pressure he could handle, but O’Malley handled it very well. And although he dropped the second round to his opponent, the way he ramped up the output and pressure in the crucial final round showed that his championship streak was still largely intact.
A little older, a little wiser and with some crucial life experience as both champion and challenger, O’Malley is still refining his game, and if a rematch with current champion – and former O’Malley victim – Petr Yan becomes a serious possibility, a second title reign may not be out of the question for “The Suga Show.”
Natalia Silva
Natalia Silva wasn’t scheduled to compete at UFC 324, so when she agreed to sign on the dotted line to face the exceptionally well-rounded and championship-tested Rose Namajunas on just three weeks notice, more than a few eyebrows were raised. After all, this was a fight she didn’t have to fight.
But despite her ranking – and a potential title fight with Valentina Shevchenko – in jeopardy, Silva used the fight to further improve her championship credentials as she cruised to a unanimous decision over ‘Thug Rose’ and added the name of another former champion to her resume in the process.
Silva was pushed all the way by Namajunas, but that only gave her a chance to show she could turn up the pressure when she needed to. And in a final round that ultimately decided the fight, Silva found the extra equipment she needed to secure the victory.
Silva is now ranked number one in the rankings at 125 pounds, sharing the spot with former title challenger Manon Fiorot. Silva looks ideally placed to challenge Shevchenko for the title later this year. A matchup with “Bullet” during UFC International Fight Week would make a lot of sense, and would provide a fresh new challenge for the all-conquering Shevchenko in the summer.
Jean Silva
Jean Silva could have fought for the featherweight title this weekend, but a running elbow from Diego Lopes changed everything, and “Lord” found himself narrowly missing the biggest fight of his career.
Instead, he was given the challenge of defeating English Teak strong contender Arnold Allen, whose only previous UFC defeats had come against Max Holloway and, in a controversial call, Movsar Evloev.
It meant Silva faced a tough test to keep his name at the forefront of the featherweight title, but at UFC 324 he put up a superb fight to defeat Allen over the three rounds to earn a deserved unanimous decision victory.
In a closely contested fight, Silva upped the pace in rounds 2 and 3 to claim victory in a fight that seemed to go against him for most of the opening round. But a big finish to the round set him up for the second stanza, and a confident Silva fought with the aggression and skill we’ve come to expect from him as he secured a crucial win.
With the likes of Evloev and Lerone Murphy also highly deserving contenders at the sharp end of the division, it remains to be seen if he gets the next call-up to challenge for the featherweight title. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if he was matched with either man. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see Silva take on Murphy for five rounds at the O2 Arena in March?
Waldo Cortes-Acosta
In terms of sheer spectacle and fighting excitement, Waldo Cortes-Acosta’s win over Derrick Lewis didn’t provide the fireworks or action of the four wins mentioned above, but his success was no less important in the context of the victor’s career.
Cortes-Acosta fought five times last year and won four, rising to the top five of heavyweights. And as his striking power came in MMA gloves Clearly, his fighting skills stood out the most against knockout artist Lewis on Saturday night.
Cortes-Acosta stayed out of trouble on the outside and forced Lewis to overreach with his shots. It meant that “The Black Beast” spent much of his offensive time swinging and missing. And after Costes-Acosta caught an off-balance Lewis with a short jab that sent him to the canvas, he closed in and unleashed the heavy artillery to force the stoppage via ground attacks.
His ranking may not have improved with the win, but with five wins out of his last six, including a victory over a former title challenger in his last fight, expect ‘Salsa Boy’ to show up there next time with a top-level dance partner.
Simon Head is Editor-in-Chief at renowned combat sports equipment company RDX Sports. Check out their latest range MMA fighting gear Today.
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