UFC 324: Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett picks and predictions
See who we think will win in Vegas this weekend.
The UFC is back this weekend, ushering in a new era for the promotion. Its Paramount+ debut leaves a little to be desired. However, after a lengthy hiatus dating back to mid December, fans will still be itching to see action in the Octagon again this weekend.
In the main event the interim UFC lightweight title is on the line in a fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje. This is Pimblett’s first ever UFC main event. Will he walk away with the title and a chance to be the UFC’s Mr. Paramount? Or will Gaethje use his veteran skills to upset the Englishman? We’ll find out tomorrow night.
The co-main for this was supposed to be Kayla Harrison versus the returning Amanda Nunes. That’s going to have to wait, though, after Harrison went under the knife to fix a problem with her neck.
The new co-main is Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong. Rounding out the main card is Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Derrick Lewis, Natalia Silva vs. Rose Namajunas and Arnold Allen vs. Jean Silva.
The pick of the prelims include Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo and Michael Johnson vs. Alexander Hernandez.
We’ve done our best to pick all the winners on this card. We did pretty well, collectively, last year. It was I who walked away the figurative trophy, though, leading Kristen by around ten points. Scroll down to see who is picking who, for the first UFC event of the year, and read our reasonings why.
Justin Gaethje (+190) vs. Paddy Pimblett (-230)
Miguel Class: Somehow the UFC has managed to keep the Paddy Pimblett train going and they’ve found him possibly the only winnable matchup near the top of the lightweight division. I’m always going to sound like a hater when discussing Pimblett and that’s just because in a well-functioning sport, a fighter with his limited abilities really shouldn’t be able to make it anywhere near the title picture, even if the interim belt he’s contending for on Saturday carries little meaning.