UFC 324: Paddy Pimblett predicts knockout of Justin Gaethje
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Tonight, Paddy Pimblett fights for UFC gold for the first time, as the Liverpudlian takes on Justin Gaethje in Las Vegas. But as “Paddy The Baddy” and Gaethje clash at UFC 324, there is more on the line than just the interim lightweight title.
The winner of tonight’s main event should be next for regular champion Ilia Topuria, Pimblett’s bitter rival, who is currently taking a break from MMA for personal reasons. Pimblett could therefore set up one of the biggest fights in the sport, or Gaethje could become a two-time interim champ, to go along with his status as one of the most-exciting athletes in UFC history.
While Gaethje, 37, has twice failed to win the undisputed title and is in the last-chance saloon this year, Pimblett, 31, is a newcomer to lights as bright as these. Yet he has continued to defy his doubters in staying unbeaten in the UFC, and he saw off a former MMA champion last time out by stopping Michael Chandler.
Tonight’s co-main event was due to see all-time great Amanda Nunes emerge from retirement to challenge an old teammate, bantamweight queen Kayla Harrison, but the latter sustained an injury last week. As such, Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong was pushed up the card, with an allegation of racism feeding into their fight.
Follow live updates and results from UFC 324, from the prelims to the main event, below.
O’Malley stands southpaw. The orthodox Song throws a low kick. Suga’ is much taller than Song.
Nasty oblique kick by O’Malley. He stands orthodox now. Spinning back kick to the body.
O’Malley with some clever entries and exits. Song with a more audacious blitz. This is what we expected.
Song is pressing forward with intent, and O’Malley is opting for single counters to deter him, but very few of them are landing at the moment.
Song with a big shot, and he gets O’Malley to the mat with a double-leg! O’Malley defends with a guillotine choke, but Song is able to escape…
That briefly looked dangerous for Song late in the round.
(Getty Images)
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 04:20
This is a real crossroads fight for O’Malley, one of the UFC’s bigger stars…
He’ll have to be at his sharpshooting best and avoid Song’s power, and Song himself may need to try to mix in some wrestling tonight.
Song is in the cage. Here comes O’Malley to the familiar sound of “Superstar” by Lupe Fiasco.
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 04:08
So, in tonight’s co-main event, Kayla Harrison was due to defend her bantamweight belt against former champion and ex-teammate Amanda Nunes.
As a result, Nunes’s return from retirement must wait, and Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong was bumped up the card.
That’s the new co-main event, as former bantamweight champ “Suga’ Sean” aims to get back to winning ways against a dangerous foe. And there’s been a controversial build to this one:
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 04:02
Waldo cracks Lewis with a right hand then slams a knee to the body of the veteran.
Clean jabs by Waldo now, too. Lewis almost catches the Dominican with a left hook while the latter leans back.
Good head movement by Waldo, then Lewis slips and falls to his backside…
He turtles up and eats a barrage of ground and pound, and it’s all over!!
Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Derrick Lewis via second-round TKO (3:14, ground and pound)
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 03:53
Does this one make it out of the first round? Both heavyweights stand orthodox.
Lewis tries a left high kick, jumping into it! Impressive athleticism from the bigger of the two big men.
He’s on the back foot largely, though, with Cortes-Acosta edging forward and trying to gauge Lewis’s reactions. Waldo is taking no risks, happy to shuffle out of range at the slightest hint of output from Lewis.
Now Waldo throws the occasional jab and cross. Hard low kick now, too. Waldo narrowly misses with a massssive right hand.
Waldo catches a kick, and Lewis falls to the mat, where the Dominican kicks his legs. Eventually Waldo lets the American up. Fifty seconds left.
Lewis just can’t close the range in time.
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 03:48
Okay, all the way up to heavyweight now, where veteran Derrick Lewis faces rising star Waldo Cortes-Acosta.
American Lewis holds the record for the most KOs in UFC history (16). But the 40-year-old faces a man with a whole lot of momentum in Cortes-Acosta, 34.
The Dominican fought five times in 2025, going 4-1 with three knockout wins.
It’s conceivable that Cortes-Acosta could fight for a version of the heavyweight title next; with champion Tom Aspinall out at the moment, Cortes-Acosta would face Ciryl Gane for an interim belt,
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 03:33
Natalia Silva def. Rose Namajunas via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Boos in the arena, and I can understand it. That’s very harsh on Namajunas.
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 03:27
Some of the exchanges in round three resemble round one, with Namajunas catching Silva on the exit.
Both women kick low. Namajunas with a few side kicks to the body. Oh! Silva with a hard side kick of her own, landing to the face.
Namajunas grabs a single-leg, but Silva pushes down her head and sprawls well. Great technique.
Silva is able to get free and throw Namajunas, landing in half-guard, but Thug Rose scrambles very well!
She stands, and Silva gets the better of the final striking exchanges, but it might still be Namajunas’s fight…
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 03:25
Silva tries to assert herself at the start of this round, but she’s soon put on the back foot again.
Namajunas is still doing the slightly cleaner work and making Silva miss a fair amount. This time it’s Namajunas who denies Silva a trip. And again.
Namajunas holds Silva against the fence and eventually manages to trip her, and she lands in closed guard.
Silva tries to hold Namajunas close and isolate an arm for an armbar. Namajunas is right in front of her coaching team.
Silva tries a Hail Mary armbar late in the round, to no avail.
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 03:19
Both women stand orthodox. Lots of feints from Namajunas as usual. Now she lands a couple of low kicks and avoids some body and high kicks from Silva.
Silva almost lands a counter right hook flush, after evading a body kick. A few scrappy exchanges ensue, but “Thug Rose” lands a right cross over the top of a Silva kick.
Namajunas has largely controlled the centre of the cage throughout this round.
She just about tags Silva with a clever spinning back fist after missing a high kick.
Late in the round, Silva denies the ex-champ a trip.
Alex Pattle25 January 2026 03:13