UFC 324 results: Four biggest takeaways from a wild night in Las Vegas
The first UFC event of 2026 launched the new deal with Paramount in a big way on Saturday when UFC 324 took place from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The historic event ended in spectacular fashion with Justin Gaethje defeating Paddy Pimblett to win the interim lightweight championship in an instant classic.
The night was filled with big moments and impressive performances that set up what should be a massive year in the Octagon.
Among those who achieved big victories, besides Gaethje, were Sean O’Malley, Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Natalia Silva. However, Pimblett also walked away a winner after his courageous performance in the loss to Gaethje.
UFC 324: Paddy Pimblett elevates his defeat status after incredible display of heart and resilience
Shakiel Mahjouri
With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at some of the most important takeaways from UFC 324. Let’s dive in.
Gaethje is at his best fighting on instinct
Justin Gaethje is once again the interim lightweight champion, and he owes it all to his fighting style that has made him one of the most popular fighters in the sport. In recent years, Gaethje has attempted to fight with a more strategic and tactical mindset. All that was lost to Paddy Pimblett on Saturday night. When Pimblett began to go forward offensively, marking Gaethje with flurries of crisp shots, Gaethje reverted to his old self, throwing himself in and meeting fire with fire. And Gaethje’s fire has a power few can match, as evidenced by Pimblett’s repeated knockdowns. When Gaethje fights instinctively, his opponents must take their game to a whole new level and go to places few other opponents can take them. This is why Gaethje is going home with UFC gold.
“Yeah, my coach was really mad at me after the first round,” Gaethje said of Saturday’s performance. “I love this shit so much, it’s really hard to control myself sometimes.”
Pimblett may have won in defeat
Of course, being an interim champion is better than any sort of moral victory, but Pimblett has a lot to be proud of. Very few men can withstand five rounds of power from Gaethje. Pimblett showed the kind of heart and tenacity that can’t be taught, it’s something a fighter either possesses or not. Pimblett was criticized for not “deserving” a shot at an interim title, but he proved he belongs in the Octagon with the best of the best. Even though things were going bad, Pimblett never stopped trying to win and continued to hit Gaethje with clean punches, kicks and knees.
Pimblett was one half of an instant classic and anyone who says they haven’t earned respect for the Liverpool, England native is lying. As Pimblett once said: “Scousers are not knocked out. » What was once a cheeky saying suddenly feels like it might be grounded in reality.
Sean O’Malley returns to title race
O’Malley entered Saturday having lost two straight championship fights to Merab Dvalishvili. It was fair to wonder whether O’Malley had simply stumbled upon a fighter who had his number, or whether his time at the top of the bantamweight division was over soon after it began. Against Song YadongO’Malley took a patient and professional approach, not forcing the issue against a dangerous attacker in an attempt to prove something bigger than what can be shown in a single round. By the third round, O’Malley was rolling, marking Yadong with a variety of strikes and asserting his dominance. With this victory, O’Malley is back in title contention, although he will have to wait for the rematch between Dvalishvili and the man who defeated him to win the title, Petr Yan. O’Malley already holds a split decision win over Yan, making for an attractive title opportunity if Yan wins the trilogy with Dvalishvili.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Natalia Silva present their arguments for the title
Cortes-Acosta faced a serious test and became one of the UFC’s biggest stars when he faced Derrick Lewis. Cortes-Acosta launched a near-whitewash against the UFC record holder for most knockouts, picking spots to drill Lewis with heavy kicks and straight punches until Lewis had nothing left and found himself on the ground, seemingly giving up as Cortes-Acosta hammered in strikes to force the stoppage. In a heavyweight division in flux with champion Tom Aspinall sidelined for the foreseeable future due to eye injuries suffered against Cyril Gane, Cortes-Acosta made a strong case for a shot at the interim title.
As for Silva, it has already been stated that a victory over Rose Namajunas would earn her a title shot. Namajunas made it difficult, forcing Silva to abandon every bit of land. At the end, Silva won the fight by unanimous decisionpicking up a third straight victory over a former UFC champion. Now, Silva can look forward to the challenge of facing Valentina Schevchenko for the women’s flyweight championship.
