TLDR
- UFC 324 takes place January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas with two title fights
- Justin Gaethje faces Paddy Pimblett for interim lightweight title after Ilia Topuria announced personal hiatus
- Amanda Nunes returns to fight Kayla Harrison for women’s bantamweight championship
- Top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan was passed over despite 10-1 recent record
- Former champion Aljamain Sterling and Tsarukyan publicly criticized the interim title matchup
The UFC announced its first event under a new Paramount media rights deal during the Thanksgiving Day NFL broadcast. UFC 324 will take place on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The main event features an interim lightweight title bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett. The interim belt was created after current champion Ilia Topuria announced he needed extended time away from the sport for personal reasons.
Pimblett enters his first UFC title bout with a 23-3 record. He has won nine consecutive fights, most recently stopping Michael Chandler and King Green. The Liverpool fighter has not lost since September 2018.
Gaethje returns to action after his last appearance at UFC 313 in March. He defeated Rafael Fiziev by unanimous decision. Before that victory, Gaethje suffered a knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024.
The announcement immediately drew criticism from fighters and fans. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling questioned the decision on his YouTube channel. He pointed to the clear top contender at lightweight being overlooked.
Top Contender Left Out
Arman Tsarukyan appeared to be next in line for a title shot. He recently defeated Dan Hooker by submission at UFC Qatar. The victory marked his tenth win in eleven fights.
Tsarukyan has beaten top contenders including Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush. His only loss in that stretch came against Mateusz Gamrot in 2022. He served as a backup fighter for a previous title fight after an injury forced him to withdraw from a scheduled bout.
Sterling argued that Tsarukyan earned his position. “He weighed in as a backup fighter, which sucks,” Sterling said. “Then he goes on and he fights again, defends his No. 1 spot, beats Dan Hooker and gets a finish.”
The former champion believes Tsarukyan would have accepted either fight. “I’m sure if he had the opportunity to fight for the interim title between Paddy Pimblett or Justin Gaethje, he would have done it,” Sterling stated.
Tsarukyan responded to the announcement on social media. He posted a four-word message: “Make it make sense.” He also criticized Topuria’s decision to take time off.
Championship Co-Main Event
The co-main event features current bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison defending against Amanda Nunes. Harrison won the title with a submission victory over Julianna Pena at UFC 317 in June. This will be her first title defense.
Nunes returns after nearly two years away from competition. She last fought at UFC 289 in June 2023, defending the bantamweight title against Irene Aldana. Nunes vacated the belt and retired after that victory.
The main card also includes Sean O’Malley facing Song Yadong at bantamweight. O’Malley looks to end a two-fight losing streak after dropping the title to Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 317.
Other featured bouts include Derrick Lewis against Waldo Cortes-Acosta at heavyweight. Rose Namajunas faces Alexa Grasso at flyweight. Umar Nurmagomedov meets Deiveson Figueiredo at bantamweight.
UFC 324 marks the first event under the UFC’s new partnership with Paramount. Dana White made the announcement during CBS’s broadcast of the Dallas Cowboys versus Kansas City Chiefs game on Thanksgiving Day.
