During the halftime show of NFL’s big Thanksgiving game between Dallas Cowboys vs. Kansas City Chiefs, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO, Dana White, dropped a bombshell. The first main event of the Paramount+/CBS era is set: Justin Gaethje
will collide with U.K.-based superstar, Paddy Pimblett, for the interim Lightweight title atop UFC 324, which will take place inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.The odd announcement all but guarantees Ilia Topuria will have an opponent
waiting when he returns in Spring 2026.
In the co-main event, women’s Bantamweight roost-ruler, Kayla Harrison, will face former UFC champion — and no longer-retired — Amanda Nunes in a long-anticipated showdown between ex-teammates.
In addition, several other bouts were announced during the broadcast, including Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong, Waldo Acosta-Cortez vs. Derrick Lewis and Jean Silva vs . Arnold Allen.
Gaethje (26-5) is apparently putting retirement talk on ice now that another crack at UFC gold is on the table … even if it’s interim gold. “The Highlight” bounced back from his viral knockout loss to Max Holloway at UFC 300, defeating Rafael Fiziev at UFC 317.
The 37-year-old is 3-1 in his last four fights, already a two-time UFC Lightweight title challenger, and now has the chance to become a two-time interim champion after first claiming the strap in 2020 against Tony Ferguson.
Pimblett (23-3), meanwhile, will make his first walk toward UFC gold after starting his career inside the Octagon at a perfect (7-0) clip. “The Baddy” is coming off the biggest win of his career, a third-round stoppage over Michael Chandler (watch highlights), which followed a first-round submission win over Tony Ferguson.
While fans have clamored for Topuria vs. Pimblett, the tension between Pimblett and Gaethje has been simmering — and now it gets the main-event spotlight to kick off 2026.
At long last, Harrison gets the fight she’s wanted.
The reigning Bantamweight queen (19-1) has basically obliterated every opponent she’s faced since joining UFC, winning the 135-pound title by submitting Julianna Pena with a brutal kimura in her most recent outing.
She’ll now welcome the return of Amanda Nunes (23-5), who briefly stepped away from the sport after cementing herself as the greatest women’s fighter in UFC history. A two-division champion with victories over eight former champions, “The Lioness” now aims to become a three-time Bantamweight titleholder.
Big stakes. Interesting matchups. The CBS/Paramount+ era is starting with an interesting bang!
