UFC 324 Picks, Gaethje vs Pimblett Best Bets

What: UFC 324
Who: Justin Gaethje (c) vs Paddy Pimblett, for the UFC interim lightweight title; Kayla Harrison (c) vs Amanda Nunes for the UFC women's bantamweight title
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada
When: Saturday, January 24, 9:00 p.m. EDT
Watch: Paramount+

A stellar card is ushering in the New Year with the UFC 324 lineup. Top lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will be battling it out in the main event for the UFC interim title. Both fighters will be seeking to set themselves up for a title shot against champion Ilya Topuria.

Pimblett is set as the -210 favorite. You'll be accessing +175 underdog odds if you opt to go with Gaethje.

Let's look at the latest betting lines. Odds are subject to change.

UFC 324 Odds	The Pick
Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett	Pimblett	-210	-209	-209
Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes	Nunes	+160	+156	+154

The co-main event is a title bout for the UFC women's bantamweight belt between champion Kayla Harrison and veteran challenger Amanda Nunes. It's Harrison who is established as the -185 favorite to win the fight.

In this article, OSB will be analyzing the fighters in each of these main event bouts, offering a predicted winner in both matchups, and also providing some additional notes and information regarding UFC 324 picks and UFC betting.

UFC 324 Overview: Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett

This bout features two of the top contenders for Ilya Topuria's lightweight title belt. Gaethje is the No. 4 contender, while Pimblett is slotted in at No. 5 in the current lightweight rankings.

Since Topuria has announced he'll be taking the first quarter of 2026 off for personal reasons, this fight will determine the interim champion.

Fighter Spotlight: Justin Gaethje

Gaethje (26-5) previously won the UFC interim lightweight title in 2020 with a TKO of Tony Ferguson. However, he followed up with a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title fight.

In fact, Gaethje has fought twice for the UFC lightweight title and lost both attempts to claim the belt. When he fought Charles Oliveira for the vacant belt in 2022, Oliveira failed to make weight, meaning only Gaethje could claim the title. He lost via a first-round submission.

Gaethje is 3-2 over his past five fights and 4-3 through his last seven bouts.

Fighter Spotlight: Paddy Pimblett

Englishman Pimblett (23-3) is riding a nine-fight win streak. Seven of those victories have come since he signed with UFC in 2021. He's proven to be an entertaining fighter since joining the promotion. Five times, Pimblett's fights have received recognition as performance of the night.

His signature wins include victories over top lightweight contenders Ferguson and Michael Chandler.

Prediction: This fight figures to be a closer contest than the odds are suggesting. Gaethje is a veteran campaigner, and as Petr Yan's recent bantamweight title displayed, discount a veteran campaigner at your own peril.

Paddy Pimblett To win UFC interim lightweight title

-210

Bet Now!

Gaethje is the more powerful and busier of the two on average when it comes to striking. He's also an adept wrestler. But Pimblett is the rising star among these two combatants.

PURE ENTERTAINMENT 🍿@Justin_Gaethje vs @PaddyTheBaddy

[ #UFC324 | SAT JAN 24 on @Paramountplus ] pic.twitter.com/JQpbwFA4K9

— UFC (@ufc) December 6, 2025

He's displayed a knack for gaining submission wins, and his grappling expertise will be what wins the day in this fight.

UFC 324 Overview: Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes

UFC women's bantamweight champion Harrison will be making her first title defense against arguably the greatest female fighter in MMA history. Nunes is the only woman ever to hold world titles in two UFC weight classes simultaneously.

Fighter Spotlight: Kayla Harrison

When she won her UFC title, American Harrison (19-1) instantly made history. The former Olympic judoka is the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC world title belt.

The spotlight is on #UFC324 👀@Justin_Gaethje vs @PaddyTheBaddy @KaylaH vs @Amanda_Leoa

[ JAN 24 on @ParamountPlus | 🎟️: https://t.co/fZTNGD8t3t ] pic.twitter.com/Ipym4thYMG

— UFC (@ufc) December 19, 2025

Harrison is 3-0 since joining UFC. She won her title via a second-round submission of Julianna Pena.

Fighter Spotlight: Amanda Nunes

What more can be said about the greatness of Nunes (23-5)? She won the UFC bantamweight title in 2016 and held it until 2021. Regaining the belt in 2022, she would hold it until her retirement in 2023. Nunes won the UFC featherweight title in 2018 and held it until her retirement.

Her list of vanquished foes reads like a who's-who of UFC female fighters. Nunes has beaten Valentina Shevchenko (twice), Miesha Tate, Rhonda Rousey, Raquel Pennington, Cris Cyborg, Holly Holm, and Pena.

Prediction: Harrison's grappling ability is unquestioned, but in Nunes, she is facing the total package. There's no aspect of MMA that Nunes hasn't excelled at during her time in the octagon.

Amanda Nunes To win UFC women's bantamweight title

+160

Bet Now!

Nagging questions must be answered, though. Can she shake off two years of rust? Should Nunes have taken a tune-up bout in her return before going for the gusto? And her only loss in the past decade was to Pena, the fighter that Harrison beat for the title.

Still, Nunes avenged that loss. If you want to bet against the all-time greatest, that's your prerogative. But it doesn't seem like a wise wager.

Boost Your UFC Picks

Before getting your wagers down on UFC 324, don't forget to check out the best UFC betting odds to ensure you are getting the best bets available. You can also use sportsbook reviews 2025 to find a betting site to service your needs in UFC betting picks. And if you're new to the world of online sports betting, don't fret about being in over your head. There are plenty of how-to tips that you can peruse in our handy sports betting guide.