Story byPhoto by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCJamie TheodosiTue, January 20, 2026 at 5:51 PM UTC·2 min readJustin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett headlines the UFC’s first main event of the year, and it’s already attracting plenty of opinions from around the fight world. UFC 324 takes place this Saturday in Las Vegas, with Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett meeting for the interim lightweight title. It’s a big way to kick off 2025 for the promotion. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe matchup raised some eyebrows when Dana White announced it, with plenty of fans questioning whether either man had done enough to deserve a shot at gold. Pimblett is yet to face anyone inside the lightweight top ten, making this by far the biggest challenge of his career so far. Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier and others share their predictionsPhoto by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCThe UFC 324 main event isn’t just the start of the Paramount era – it’s also a fight that could decide who faces Ilia Topuria next. That mix has made it one of the most talked-about matchups in recent memory.“It’s a fun fight, I’m leaning towards Justin, but we’ll see,” Poirier said on The Ariel Helwani Show.
