MMA NEWS

UFC 324: Gaethje vs Pimblett

admin January 24, 2026

1. UFC 324 Quick Snapshot – What Happened & When

  • Date / Venue: 12 July 2025 – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ (ESPN+ PPV)
  • Main Event: #3 Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje (25-5) vs. #12 Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett (22-3) – lightweight 155 lb
  • Co-Main: interim-title eliminator bantamweight 135 lb – Merab Dvalishvili vs. Henry Cejudo
  • Prelims: 6 p.m. ET | PPV Main Card: 10 p.m. ET
  • ESPN+ PPV price: $79.99 (HD) – available on all major cable, satellite & streaming apps

2. UFC 324 Main Card Results – Full Fight-By-Fight Scores

(Spoiler-free scroll-stop: all bouts ended inside distance unless noted)
  1. Justin Gaethje def. Paddy Pimblett – KO (overhand right) R2 3:22
    • Gaethje lands 62% significant strikes (68-110)
    • Pimblett drops first UFC loss; both fighters earn $50k “Fight of the Night” bonus
  2. Merab Dvalishvili def. Henry Cejudo – UD (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)
    • 11 straight Octagon wins – next in line for 135-lb champion
  3. Jéssica Andrade def. Tatiana Suarez – TKO (body kick + punches) R3 1:41
    • Andrade becomes first woman to finish Suarez; leaps back to #3 straw-weight
  4. Chris Duncan def. Matt Frevola – SD (29-28, 28-29, 29-28) – lightweight scramble
  5. Manel Kape def. David Dvořák – KO (switch-knee) R1 4:01 – fly-weight debut

3. UFC 324 Prelims & Early Prelims – Every Result

ESPN / ESPN+ Prelims (8 p.m. ET)
  • Cub Swanson UD Nathaniel Wood – feather-weight
  • Michelle Waterson-Gomez SUB (arm-bar) Montana De La Rosa – women’s fly-weight
  • Bryan Battle KO (head-kick) Makhmud Muradov – middle-weight
ESPN+ Early Prelims (6 p.m. ET)
  • Mick Parkin UD. Austen Lane – heavyweight
  • Puja Tomar TKO (spinning back-fist) Adaura Sherman – WAW 115 lb
  • Lee Chang-sub UD. Garrett Armfield – bantam-weight

4. Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett – Round-by-Round Highlights & Analysis

Round 1
  • Pimblett opens with low-kick / jab combo, immediately shoots a double-leg; Gaethje sprawls.
  • Clinch exchanges against fence – Gaethje short upper-cuts score.
  • 10-9 Gaethje on volume (28-20 sig. strikes).
Round 2
  • Gaethje times a level-change feint, counters with arching over-hand right – lands flush behind Pimblett’s ear.
  • Follow-up left hook unnecessary; referee Keith Peterson waves it off at 3:22.
  • Gaethje leaps onto cage, screams “I’m back!” – earns 8th UFC KO, cements title-shot claim.
Post-Fight Octagon Interview Quote
“I love the Irish fans, but this is the Highlight era. I want Islam (Makhachev) in December – Madison Square Garden, let’s go!” – Justin Gaethje

5. UFC 324 Bonuses & Attendance

  • Fight of the Night: Gaethje vs. Pimblett – $50k each
  • Performance of the Night:
    – Manel Kape (switch-knee KO)
    – Jéssica Andrade (body-shot finish)
  • Gate: $4.78 million (13,204 fans) – 3rd-highest gate in New Jersey UFC history
  • Total Event Purse (disclosed): $3.42 million (via NJSACB)

6. UFC 324 Stats That Matter – Gaethje vs. Pimblett By Numbers

Table

Copy
Metric Gaethje Pimblett
Significant Strikes Landed 68 42
Total Strikes 78 56
Head Strikes 45 23
Body Strikes 14 12
Leg Strikes 9 7
Takedown Attempts 0 3 (0 success)
Control Time 0:09 1:12
Knock-downs 2 0

7. Next For The Winners? Match-maker Musings

  • Justin Gaethje – one win away from third title shot; likely vs. winner Islam Makhachev–Dustin Poirier (UFC 311 Nov ’25)
  • Merab Dvalishvili – guaranteed crack at winner Sean O’Malley vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (target UFC 312 Feb ’26)
  • Jéssica Andrade – one more victory could earn 125-lb title shot vs. Valentina Shevchenko–Alexa Grasso trilogy victor
  • Manel Kape – fly-weight top-10 opponent next (Brandon Royval or Alex Perez)
CLICK HERE FOR TODAY'S MATCHES ×