UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes to return at UFC 324 against Kayla Harrison, alongside Justin Gaethje, Paddy Pimblett
UFC 324, set to take place Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, will be headlined by a matchup of fan favorites Justin Gaethje and Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, with the interim lightweight title on the line, as well as a women’s bantamweight title bout between champion Kayla Harrison and UFC Hall of Famer Amanda Nunes. The UFC announced the headlining bouts for its first marquee event on Paramount+ during the Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.
The co-main event between Harrison and Nunes was teased in June when the two met in the Octagon after Harrison (19-1) defeated Julianna Peña to win the bantamweight belt.
AMANDA NUNES VS. KAYLA HARRISON 🔥
THIS WILL BE SPECIAL 🍿 #UFC316 pic.twitter.com/2Cwwh2ySIA
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 8, 2025
Nunes (23-5) retired after her last bout, a bantamweight title defense against Irene Aldana in 2023. Nunes held both the 135-pound and the now-defunct 145-pound titles at the time, giving her the distinction as the only women’s “double-champ” in the UFC’s history.
Gaethje (27-5) last fought in March, scoring a unanimous decision victory against Rafael Fiziev. His two bouts prior both ended in knockouts, with Gaethje getting the worse end of a wild exchange with Max Holloway in a loss and delivering a violent head kick to Dustin Poirier to secure a second-round stoppage.
Pimblett (23-3) comes into this bout riding a nine-fight win streak with seven of those contests ending with a knockout or submission. He last fought in April when he scored a 3rd-round TKO victory against Michael Chandler.
UFC 324 will be the first of 13 marquee events set to air on Paramount+, for no additional cost to subscribers. Numbered UFC events were previously accessible via the pay-per-view model, but the UFC announced a change after reaching a seven-year, $7.7 billion media-rights deal with Paramount.
“I am so excited for UFC fans that our first card has six current and former champions, including the long-awaited return of the greatest female fighter of all time – which is definitely the biggest women’s fight ever,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “Also, in the main event we have Justin Gaethje versus Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight title to see who will face Ilia Topuria later this year on Paramount+. This card is absolutely stacked — every fight is a must-see. This deal is such a huge win for fans with no more pay-per-view. I look forward to 2026 being our best year ever.”
The card also boasts bouts featuring fan favorites “Suga” Sean O’Malley, Derrick Lewis and “Thug” Rose Namajunas.
