UFC 324 Readies for Las Vegas Debut on Paramount+ with Gaethje-Pimblett Lightweight Title Clash

Las Vegas, NV – The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to launch its 2024 calendar with UFC 324, a highly anticipated fight card scheduled for Saturday, January 24, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This event marks a significant milestone for the promotion as it debuts on Paramount+, promising a night packed with high-stakes contests, including an interim lightweight championship bout headlining the card.

The main event features a clash for the interim UFC Lightweight Championship between Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje and Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett. Pimblett, boasting a professional record of 23 wins and 3 losses, enters the octagon as the betting favorite at -238 in the latest UFC 324 odds. The British sensation is currently riding an impressive nine-fight win streak, aiming to capture his first title within the promotion. His opponent, Justin Gaethje, a former interim lightweight champion with a record of 26 wins and 5 losses, is listed at +195 as the underdog. Gaethje seeks to reclaim championship gold, having won three of his last four bouts. The over/under for total rounds in this pivotal matchup is set at 2.5, with the "Over" currently holding a slight favor at -120, indicating expectations for the fight to potentially extend beyond the midway point of the third round.

The UFC 324 main card is scheduled to commence at 9 p.m. ET. Beyond the headline attraction, the co-main event pits two top-five ranked bantamweights against each other: Sean O’Malley and Song Yadong. Despite suffering back-to-back defeats to Merab Dvalishvili in recent outings, O’Malley (18-3) is favored at -218, while Yadong (22-8-1) stands as the underdog at +180. This matchup carries significant implications for the bantamweight division, potentially positioning the winner for a future title shot.

Fighter Profiles and Background

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Justin Gaethje (26-5)
A veteran of the lightweight division, Justin Gaethje, 37, brings a formidable background in amateur wrestling to his mixed martial arts career, having achieved NCAA All-American status at Northern Colorado. However, Gaethje has predominantly forged his reputation in MMA through his devastating knockout power. Out of his 26 professional victories, 20 have come by way of knockout, showcasing his aggressive, crowd-pleasing style. Five of his wins have been decided by judges’ scorecards, and only one has been secured via submission. Gaethje has never lost a professional fight by decision.

His five professional defeats include three by knockout and two by submission. Gaethje previously held the interim UFC Lightweight Championship, which he won at UFC 249 with a TKO victory over Tony Ferguson. Following this triumph, he challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed UFC Lightweight Championship but was unsuccessful. Gaethje had another opportunity for undisputed gold against Charles Oliveira at UFC 274, where he again fell short. More recently, he captured the symbolic UFC "BMF" title by defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 291. Gaethje holds a professional record of 3 wins and 1 loss when competing in Las Vegas.

Paddy Pimblett (23-3)
Paddy Pimblett, 31, developed a strong Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu foundation early in his career. He made his professional debut at just 17 years old in his hometown of Liverpool, England. Pimblett competed in the bantamweight and featherweight divisions for over five years before making the move to lightweight in 2018. Since transitioning to the 155-pound division, he has amassed an impressive record of 10 wins in 11 bouts, including a current nine-fight winning streak. His UFC tenure, which began in 2021, has seen him achieve a perfect 7-0 record within the promotion.

Pimblett demonstrates versatility in his finishing abilities, with his 23 victories comprising 10 submissions, 7 knockouts, and 6 decisions. While he has secured championships in other promotions, UFC 324 marks his inaugural title challenge under the UFC banner. "The Baddy" has been recognized for his captivating performances, earning the "Performance of the Night" bonus in five of his last seven fights, including his last two outings. He maintains an undefeated 3-0 record in his MMA career when fighting in Las Vegas.

UFC 324 Main Card and Betting Lines

The full main card for UFC 324, with current odds from DraftKings (subject to change), includes:

Justin Gaethje (+195) vs. Paddy Pimblett (-238) – Interim UFC Lightweight Championship
Sean O’Malley (-218) vs. Song Yadong (+180) – Bantamweight Co-Main Event
Waldo Cortes-Acosta (-345) vs. Derrick Lewis (+275) – Heavyweight Bout
Natalie Silva (-310) vs. Rose Namajunas (+250) – Women’s Flyweight Bout
Arnold Allen (+170) vs. Jean Silva (-205) – Featherweight Bout

Expert Predictions and Analysis

For those seeking informed betting insights, SportsLine expert Daniel Vithlani has provided detailed predictions and betting advice for UFC 324. Vithlani is renowned as a highly analytical UFC bettor, having established a consistent winning record for SportsLine members since his debut in January 2023 with a perfect 5-0 record for UFC 283. His main-card sports betting picks have generated over $1,500 in profit.

Vithlani’s track record includes successfully predicting an upset for Sean O’Malley (+210) against then-champion Aljamain Sterling (-250) at UFC 292, contributing to a 4-1 main card performance. At UFC 299, his winning selections included underdog picks on Dustin Poirier (+190) against Benoit Saint Denis (-230) and Michael Page (+110) against Kevin Holland (-130).

Among his specific UFC 324 predictions, Vithlani is backing Jean Silva (-205) to defeat Arnold Allen (+175) in a featherweight matchup on the main card. "Silva’s 5-0 start to his UFC career came to a screeching halt in his last fight against featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes," Vithlani stated. "After finishing his first five UFC opponents, Silva was beat up and knocked out badly by Lopes in a nasty fight. Prior to that, Silva was emerging as the division’s fastest-rising prospect. I think he can get back to haunting his fellow featherweights, starting with Allen."

Vithlani elaborated on the matchup, noting, "Allen is an active southpaw kickboxer and a capable grappler, but he won’t have the advantage on the ground like Lopes did. Allen will need to stay on his lateral movement and try to out-volume Silva, but one big right hand or left hook from Silva could change this fight instantly."

Vithlani has conducted an extensive analysis of the Gaethje vs. Pimblett main event and the other significant bouts on the UFC 324 card, revealing his top betting picks and best bets exclusively through SportsLine. He is reportedly backing another fighter described as "the far more sophisticated striker," predicting them to "tee off" on their opponent.

Accessing UFC 324: A New Era on Paramount+

UFC 324 marks a significant shift in how fans can access major UFC events. The promotion’s numbered events and UFC Fight Night cards will now be streamed live on Paramount+, eliminating the need for traditional Pay-Per-View purchases. A Paramount+ subscription offers access to every live UFC numbered event and Fight Night, along with pre-fight docuseries, full-length replays of past fights, and an archive of historical bouts. This new distribution model aims to make UFC content more accessible to subscribers.

For new users interested in engaging with the betting markets for UFC 324, several promotional offers are available. The DraftKings promo code, for instance, provides $300 in bonus bets if a user’s initial bet wins. Similarly, the FanDuel promo code offers new users $300 in bonus bets instantly if their qualifying $5 bet is successful. These promotions are designed to attract new bettors to the platform.

The outcomes of UFC 324, particularly the highly anticipated interim lightweight championship between Gaethje and Pimblett, are expected to significantly impact the trajectory of their respective divisions as the UFC embarks on its 2024 campaign.

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