Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett headlines the UFC’s first main event of the year, and it’s already attracting plenty of opinions from around the fight world.
UFC 324 takes place this Saturday in Las Vegas, with Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett meeting for the interim lightweight title. It’s a big way to kick off 2025 for the promotion.
The matchup raised some eyebrows when Dana White announced it, with plenty of fans questioning whether either man had done enough to deserve a shot at gold.
Pimblett is yet to face anyone inside the lightweight top ten, making this by far the biggest challenge of his career so far.
Islam Makhachev, Dustin Poirier and others share their predictions
The UFC 324 main event isn’t just the start of the Paramount era – it’s also a fight that could decide who faces Ilia Topuria next. That mix has made it one of the most talked-about matchups in recent memory.
“It’s a fun fight, I’m leaning towards Justin, but we’ll see,” Poirier said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I just think Justin has been in those 25-minute fights, he’s been in dog fights before, I think Paddy’s gonna have a tough time stopping him on the feet and I don’t think Paddy’s gonna be able to get him down so he’s gonna have to fight with him.
“Justin is a bigger puncher and he’ll put himself in harm’s way to land one of them shots, it’s tough to stay away from him for 25 minutes.”
How other fighters view the UFC 324 headline bout
Dan Hooker, Belal Muhammad, and Colby Covington have also shared their views on how things might play out in the UFC 324 main event.
“If I was able to bet on fighting, this seems like a smash bet on Gaethje because everybody is on Paddy but I think Justin is still a tough dog… I think he’s gonna put Paddy to the test,” Covington told Submission Radio.
Hooker was also asked about the fight during an appearance on Submission Radio and said: “No (I don’t agree with Paddy being the favorite), Gaethje’s takedown defense is pretty sharp, I don’t see him (taking Gaethje down). We haven’t seen Paddy get in there that often and mix it up with the best guys in their prime.”
On his YouTube channel, former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad offered his take: “My pick, I think I’m going to go with Justin. I think Paddy just gets hit a lot on the feet… I think I’m going to pick Justin in this one.”