Umar Nurmagomedov forced into UFC 324 preliminaries ahead of title push

During Saturday night’s UFC 323 PPV card, the full lineup for UFC 324 was released and it turns out to be a big surprise. Former title challenger Umar Nurmagomedov has been pushed to the prelims, potentially highlighting the direction the UFC will go in the bantamweight division.

Current UFC 324 main card

The current UFC 324 main card lineup does not feature Umar Nurmagomedov. That said, it doesn’t come as a huge shock. The fight card is headlined by Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title, a fight that has caused some controversy in the MMA world.

The co-main event features the return of the GOAT, Amanda Nunes, as she heads into retirement collide with former teammate and current bantamweight queen, Kayla Harrison.

RETURN OF THE GOAT! 🐐

Amanda Nunes vs. Kayla Harrison is going to be epic! #UFC324 | LIVE on TNT Sport & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/9s6vJgcb48

— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) December 6, 2025

Elsewhere, former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley will meet Song Yadong in a fight that could determine the next challenger for Petr Yan’s title. Waldo Cortes-Acosta continues his busy schedule to compete for the sixth time in a year as he takes on the knockout king himself, Derrick Lewis.

Opening the card is always exciting for Jean Silva when he meets the versatile Brit Arnold Allen.

Umar Nurmagomedov has been omitted

With new bantamweight champion Petr Yan already looking for his next opponent, all eyes will be on UFC 324 to determine who will be next for the Russian.

While there is a chance that Merab Dvalishvili will get his trilogy fight against Yan with the score currently at 1-1, many believe Merab will step out of the octagon for some time after a hectic 2025 schedule.

With no clear contender at 135 pounds, it’s up to the top contenders at UFC 324 to take the opportunity and it appears the UFC favors O’Malley over Umar Nurmagomedov.

The main card is where judgments are made in the UFC and with O’Malley on the main card and Nurmagomedov in the prelims, it highlights who the UFC could favor.

Interestingly enough, Nurmagomedov doesn’t have an easy fight. The Russian meets former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. The Brazilian is coming off a 4-2 bantamweight win, coming off a split decision victory over Montel Jackson.

Other highlights from the UFC 324 prelims include: Rose Namajunas vs. Natalia Silva, Nikita Krylov vs. Modestas Bukauskas, Alex Perez vs. Charles Johnson and Ateba Gautier returns vs. Andrey Pulyaev.