Saturday night marks the beginning of a new era for combat sports.
Lightweight stars Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will clash for the interim title in the main event of UFC 324 in Las Vegas, the promotion’s inaugural event on Paramount+.
Pimblett enters as a -230 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Gaethje sits as a +190 underdog.
Along with traditional sports betting and daily fantasy, you can now have more action than ever for UFC 324: Gaethje vs. Pimblett. Check out DraftKings UFC Pick6 for my favorite picks for Saturday’s UFC event.
Paddy Pimblett More Than 61.5 Significant Strikes
Saturday night’s main event pits two of the division’s most exciting fighters, looking to usher in the Paramount Era with another instant classic. Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett (23–3) enters the Octagon fresh off a statement win over Michael Chandler — in which he piled up 80 significant strikes in a third-round stoppage.
He now seems poised to pile up significant strikes once again in a five-round title bout against “The Highlight” (26–5), who’s always down for a good old-fashioned slugfest. Both fighters average over five significant strikes per minute, and Gaethje typically absorbs more punches than he lands — seemingly the recipe for a lofty significant strikes total for his Scouse opponent.
Song Yadong More Than 1.5 Takedowns
While Song Yadong (22–8–1) is an incredible boxer with knockout power, he’ll face a severe striking disadvantage in Saturday night’s co-main event against Sean O’Malley (18–3). The former bantamweight champion pairs sharp kickboxing with a towering 5-foot-11 frame to swarm opponents with vicious combos from range.
Yadong must press forward if he wants to close the distance, and if he finds his range, he’d be wise to mix in a few takedowns to avoid trading blows with O’Malley for too long. The Chinese contender has flashed his grappling ability in recent years, securing multiple takedowns against the likes of Chris Gutierrez and Cory Sandhagen.
Waldo Cortes-Acosta More Than 0.5 Knockouts
Waldo Cortes-Acosta (16–2) is coming off a scorching stretch in 2025, capping a 4–1 run with back-to-back first-round knockouts and breaking into the heavyweight top five. “Salsa Boy” will now face division icon Derrick Lewis, who has slowed down in the twilight of his career.
Now 40, Lewis has gone 4–4 since Feb. 2022, suffering knockouts against Tai Tuivasa and Serghei Spivac. In a heavyweight clash between knockout artists, expect the surging Cortes-Acosta to cement his title-fight trajectory with a stoppage win over the UFC’s all-time knockouts leader.
Natalia Silva More Than 62.5 Significant Strikes
Natalia Silva (19–5–1) aims for her third straight win against a former UFC champion when she takes on former strawweight titleholder Rose Namajunas (15–7). The Brazilian southpaw is 7–0 since her Octagon debut in June 2022, capping her run with statement wins over Jessica Andrade and Alexa Grasso.
Silva cleared 62.5 significant strikes in each of those bouts, landing 117 against Andrade. Count on her to piece up the fading veteran “Thug Rose,” who’s gone just 3–3 since her last successful title defense against Zhang Weili in Nov. 2021.
Jean Silva Under 95.5 Fantasy Points
“Fighting Nerds” featherweight Jean Silva (16–3) returns to the Octagon after suffering his first UFC loss, a second-round TKO from Diego Lopes in September. While the Brazilian contender enters as a -245 favorite in his bout with Arnold Allen (20–3), Silva has struggled to rack up fantasy points — even in victory.
Silva has failed to clear 95.5 fantasy points in three of his last four fights, only surpassing the mark with his first-round knockout of Melsik Baghdasaryan. Facing Allen, who has never gotten finished in his 23-fight career, he should fall below the total once again on Saturday night.
Umar Nurmagomedov More Than 9:30 Control Time
Umar Nurmagomedov (19–1) enters as a whopping -1450 favorite against former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (25–5–1) — and for good reason. The cousin of all-time great Khabib Nurmagomedov has bulldozed through the bantamweight division since his UFC debut in 2021, with his only loss coming at the hands of formidable champion Merab Dvalishvili.
Nurmagomedov bounced back from that stunning defeat with a dominant unanimous decision over Mario Bautista, during which he racked up 10:46 of control time. Expect the Russian sambo specialist — who prefers to smother opponents and rack up control time rather than hunt for finishes — to follow suit against the much smaller Figueiredo.
What is DraftKings Pick6?
Pick6 is a peer-to-peer fantasy variant where you build a lineup (your “Pick Set”) of 2+ players and select whether or not you believe each will outperform their listed stat projection. Enter your Pick Set in Pick6 contests to compete against other users. Get enough picks correct and win a share of cash prizes.
How to Play DraftKings Pick6
Create a Pick Set
Create a Pick Set by choosing 2+ players from the same sport and Pick Group (a set of picks available from a group of set competitions). For each player, simply select if you think they’ll have more or less than their listed stat projection. In each Pick Set, you can not pick the same player twice, and you must pick players from at least two different teams.
Enter an Amount
Once you finalize your Pick Set, choose your entry fee amount. Your entries will be automatically distributed into available contests, subject to your confirmation.
Sweat Your Picks
When the games go live, use the My Picks tab to follow your picks in real time to track how your players are performing against their projections and how they stack up against other users.
Compete for Prizes
Make enough correct picks and win a share of the contests’ guaranteed prizes. Any prizes won will be credited to your DraftKings account after contests are finalized.
Play at DraftKings Pick6 or by downloading the DraftKings Pick6 app on Apple or Google!
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