The UFC wanted to start their new deal off with a bang, and Israel Adesanya thinks they did just that.
On Saturday night, Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett faced off in the main event of UFC 324, the first event of 2026, and the first event of the UFC’s new broadcast rights deal with Paramount. Ahead of the fight, Gaethje declared that the reason he and Pimblett were headlining the first Paramount card was that they were guaranteed to deliver action, which is what the UFC wanted. And boy did they.
Gaethje and Pimblett had a five-round battle, with Gaethje battering Pimblett around the cage, while the Liverpudlian proved too tough to get out of there. And so exciting was the bout that former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya compared it to the most important fight in UFC history.
“Main event was sick,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “This was sick, because the Spike TV deal, Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar showed out and made the whole world go, ‘What the f*ck?!’ This is like part two, I guess, because it’s a new deal with Paramount and then the main event f*cking showed out.
“I don’t know how that works in America with the subscription, but I’m sure everyone watched this. A lot of eyes on this, and then the main event delivered, which is what you want.”
Griffin vs. Bonner is widely considered the most important fight in MMA history. The finale of The Ultimate Fighter 1 back in 2005, the fight was broadcast live on SpikeTV and was such a thrilling contest that it’s credited with launching the UFC’s mid-2000s boom and growth into a multibillion-dollar industry. The fight was the first one inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
It’s unlikely that Gaethje vs. Pimblett will end up as important as Griffin-Bonnar 1, but it was still a terrific first main event and the frontrunner for Fight of the Year thus far. And for Adesanya, it was also a coming-out party for Pimblett, who may have lost the battle, but earned a lot of respect for his heart.
“Shout out to Paddy,” Adesanysa said. “… For him to get an interim fight, it reminded me of my one. I was like, ‘Man, you have to really put it in there,’ and he went! He put it in. And he managed to stay up, so he proved that Scousers don’t get knocked out.”
And as for Gaethje? As a fellow fighter in his late 30s, “The Last Stylebender” felt a kinship watching “The Highlight” turn back to clock and prove he’s still one of the best in the world.
“That’s what they do, but the old dogs are still here,” Adesanya said. “You’ve got to remember that.”
Lessons. ‘Look at your face, motherf*cker’: Justin Gaethje relished teaching Paddy Pimblett a lesson at UFC 324.
Damage. Dana White shares gnarly photo of Paddy Pimblett’s face after UFC 324.
Beef. Ilia Topuria blasts ‘sausage’ Paddy Pimblett, Justin Gaethje after UFC 324 main event.
Gambling. ‘I’m not doing this sh*t again’: Dana White reveals why UFC 324 fight was pulled at the last minute.
Waiting. Sean O’Malley says he’s ‘chilling’ if UFC books Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili trilogy.
Comeback? Dustin Poirier says he’d come out of retirement for one last fight with Justin Gaethje.
Hall of Fame. Ex-UFC champion Dominick Cruz is headed to the UFC Hall of Fame.
Daniel Cormier’s post-fight reaction from cageside.
Alexander Volkanovski reacts to UFC 324.
Max Holloway reacts to UFC 324.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
The best thing to happen this weekend.
Game respects game. The two most exciting fighters alive.
They’re trying to make “fetch” happen.
Not a bad policy to have right now.
You got to respect his endless optimism.
Edmen Shahbazyan (16-5) vs. Jun Yong Park (19-7); UFC Vegas 114, April 4.
Justin Gaethje is the first two-time interim champion in UFC history. I don’t know what that means, but it’s true. Also, he’s now 8-3 as an underdog. Remarkable career that’s not over yet.
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