We’re still a few days away from UFC 324 on Paramount+ in Las Vegas, Nevada, but main event counterparts, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett, are already squaring off.
This weekend’s UFC 324 fight card is going to be an interesting one for more than one reason. The fights themselves are expected to deliver exciting results — including Gaethje vs. Pimblett — but UFC 324 will also be the promotion’s debut on Paramount+. In turn, it will mark the official end of the pay-per-view (PPV) era. UFC is hoping to bring its product and programming to a new level with all these changes, but at the end of the day it still comes down to the fighters.
Maybe that’s why UFC matchmakers turned to Gaethje and Pimblett to battle atop UFC 324 for the interim lightweight title. Gaethje is one of the biggest fan favorites in the sport right now and one of the best UFC lightweights to never win an undisputed title. Pimblett, on the other hand, is the new man in town. The surging lightweight contender is now 7-0 as a member of the UFC roster and looked pretty dominant his last time out against Michael Chandler. It’s a great matchup and one that either Gaethje or “Baddy” can win.
On Wednesday, the two lightweight contenders came together for their first fight week staredown. The faceoff is to be used for a UFC 324 promo, but it was still a chance for “Highlight” and Pimblett to size each other up. Check out the staredown below, which features some incredible production value from Team Paramount:
Luckily for fight fans, UFC 324 will also feature an exciting co-main event clash between former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and battle-tested contender Song Yadong. This spot was originally supposed to be a women’s superfight between Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison, but a nasty neck injury forced a recent cancelation and left “Suga” to fill in for co-headlining duties.
Check out their staredown below:
