Justin Gaethje claimed the interim UFC lightweight title Saturday night at UFC 324, defeating a resilient Paddy Pimblett in the main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The victory comes as current champion Ilia Topuria is on a leave of absence, creating uncertainty in the division’s championship picture [1]. Beyond the main event, the card saw key victories for Sean O’Malley and Natalia Silva, alongside the debut of increased fighter bonuses as the promotion kicks off a planned 43-event season in 2026 [[2]].
Justin Gaethje is the interim UFC lightweight champion after a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Paddy Pimblett in the main event of UFC 324 on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The win sets the stage for a potential title unification bout, but the future of the lightweight division remains uncertain.
The interim title was created due to current lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s temporary leave of absence to attend to personal matters, announced late last year. Topuria was crowned champion last June.
Pimblett, known for his submission skills, demonstrated resilience after a rocky first round, engaging in a largely striking battle with Gaethje. Despite being rocked early, Pimblett had his moments, but Gaethje consistently pressured his opponent throughout the 25-minute contest.
The fight saw a brief pause late in the first round due to an accidental eye poke by Gaethje. Gaethje continued to land significant strikes, hurting Pimblett again at the end of the second round following a sequence where Pimblett suffered a cut from a thumb to the eye.
Despite the challenges, Gaethje didn’t receive any point deductions and steadily increased his offensive output. He repeatedly hurt Pimblett, but the English fighter showcased his renowned durability, surviving until the final bell. Gaethje landed a personal-best number of significant strikes during the fight, but Pimblett proved his toughness.
After 25 minutes of intense action, all three judges scored the fight in favor of Gaethje.
This marks the second time Gaethje has captured an interim UFC lightweight title. He previously won the interim belt in 2020 with a victory over Tony Ferguson at UFC 249, but subsequently lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a unification bout.
While a title unification fight against Topuria is the logical next step, the possibility remains that Gaethje could defend his interim title against No. 1 lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan if Topuria’s absence extends further.
In the co-main event, Sean O’Malley returned to the win column, securing a unanimous decision victory over Song Yadong. O’Malley’s performance could propel him back into title contention.
O’Malley had suffered back-to-back losses, including the loss of his bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili, who is no longer champion.
Given O’Malley’s previous split-decision win against current champion Petr Yan, the question now is whether his performance at UFC 324 was enough to earn him a rematch with Yan for the title later this year.
“Petr Yan has something I want,” O’Malley said after his win. “All respect to Merab. If he gets the next shot, it’s well deserved… (Yan) wants that rematch. I want that belt. Let’s make that happen.”
Earlier on the card, Umar Nurmagomedov secured a victory on the preliminary card, adding to the growing competition at the top of the men’s 135-pound division.
The originally scheduled co-main event featuring Kayla Harrison versus Amanda Nunes in a highly anticipated women’s bantamweight title fight was postponed indefinitely after Harrison underwent surgery on her neck.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta continued his impressive run with a second-round technical knockout victory over heavyweight veteran Derrick Lewis. This win was Cortes-Acosta’s sixth fight in the last 10 months and his third consecutive stoppage.
When asked about his next opponent, Cortes-Acosta suggested Curtis Blaydes, a fitting choice given their respective rankings of No. 5 and No. 4 in the division.
Natalia Silva continued her dominant streak in the women’s flyweight division, defeating Rose Namajunas by decision. Silva is now 8-0 in the UFC and has extended her overall win streak to 14 consecutive victories, including wins over former champions. Her impressive run has firmly established her as a top contender.
The 29-year-old Brazilian is now poised for a title shot, with Valentina Shevchenko as the likely opponent unless the reigning champion decides to move up to bantamweight.
The main card opened with a featherweight battle between Jean Silva and Arnold Allen, which went the distance. Silva earned a unanimous decision victory, rebounding from a loss to Diego Lopes earlier this year.
Allen, who hadn’t fought since July of 2024, has now lost the judges’ decision in three of his last four outings dating back to 2022.
UFC 324, the first of 43 planned UFC events in 2026, also introduced a new bonus structure. Fighters who achieve knockout or submission victories will now receive a $25,000 bonus, supplementing their fight purse. Additionally, Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night awards have been doubled from $50,000 to $100,000.
