The first UFC event of 2026 is in the books. UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett took place on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and was headlined by an interim lightweight title bout between former interim champion Justin Gaethje and No. 5 ranked Paddy Pimblett.
Gaethje captured the interim 155-pound championship for the second time in a war with Pimblett. The instant classic earned each an extra $100,000 for Fight of the Night distinction.
The two ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses went to early preliminary card fighters. Ty Miller took home a $100,000 bonus check for his first-round finish of Adam Fugitt to kick off the night of fights.
Josh Hokit banked a $100,000 ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus check for his first-round stoppage of Denzel Freeman.
The fight promotion implemented a $25,000 finishing bonus at UFC 324. Waldo Cortes-Acosta earned one for his main card TKO of former heavyweight title challenger Derrick Lewis.
Light heavyweight Nikita Krylov earned a $25,000 finishing bonus for his knockout win over Modestas Bukauskas on the preliminary fight card.
The fight promotion awarded $450,000 in bonus money for UFC 324 performances. The event marked the first UFC broadcast under the new media rights agreement with Paramount.
