Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the UFC on Paramount+ era begins with UFC 324. An exciting Interim Lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett headlines this event. Pimblett has won nine consecutive fights, with seven of them coming in the UFC. Gaethje’s latest victory came against Rafael Fiziev, who is a former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion. Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley faces Song Yadong in the co-main event.
Here are my three best bets for Saturday’s UFC 324 event.
Paddy Pimblett to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (-145)
Pimblett has fought only twice in the last two years, but has put on elite performances each time. At UFC 304 in July 2024, Pimblett submitted King Green in the first round and then followed it up with a third-round knockout victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April 2025. Pimblett now faces Gaethje, who is an elite knockout artist with a tremendous amount of big fight experience. The difference in this contest is Pimblett’s versatility and ability to succeed on the feet and on the ground. If Pimblett can mix in takedowns during this fight, he should be able to get the best of Gaethje.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Pimblett is a -230 favorite with Gaethje being the underdog at +190. But with the finishing ability that Pimblett and Gaethje possess, it is highly unlikely that this fight goes to the judges’ scorecards. Pimblett has won 17 of his 23 MMA fights by submission or knockout and has five of seven wins by finish in the UFC. Getting Pimblett to win by knockout or submission at -145 is an excellent value play considering his finishing ability.
Sean O’Malley to Win by KO/TKO/DQ (+350)
Sean O’Malley has suffered two consecutive losses against Merab Dvalishvili and is now facing Yadong in his first three-round contest since October 2022, when he beat Petr Yan. Even though O’Malley has struggled recently, he is still a supremely talented striker who is just 31 years old. O’Malley’s opponent, Yadong, is 22-8-1 overall and has won three of his last four fights. Although Yadong is coming off a win over Henry Cejudo, Triple C is 38 years old and no longer the fighter he once was.
The former champion is the favorite in this matchup at -205, with Yadong being a +170 underdog on DraftKings Sportsbook. Although Yadong is a skilled fighter, O’Malley has the advantage in this contest. O’Malley is taller by three inches (5’11” vs. 5’8″) with a five-inch reach advantage (72″ vs. 67′). Also, O’Malley is the much better striker in this fight, as he lands more significant strikes per minute (6.30 vs. 4.58) while being more efficient (61% vs. 43%).
O’Malley hasn’t scored a knockout since August 2023 but has won six of his nine fights in the UFC by KO/TKO/DQ. O’Malley is due for a big performance to show that he is still one of the best fighters in the world, and this seems like the perfect moment for him to do so. You can get O’Malley at +350 to beat Yadong by KO/TKO/DQ.
Jean Silva to Win by KO/TKO/DQ or Submission (+120)
One of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, Jean Silva, returns to take on Arnold Allen in a three-round Featherweight bout. Silva is coming off his first defeat since 2018, after previously looking invincible, winning his first five UFC fights by finish. Allen is another elite Featherweight, but hasn’t fought in 17 months due to an injury.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Silva is -245 with Allen being +200 in this contest. But since Silva has only won one fight in his career by decison, it is best to back him by KO/TKO/DQ or submission at +120. On paper, Silva averages 1.34 more significant strikes per minute while being more accurate than Allen is. Silva is the more explosive fighter in this contest and should be able to use his quickness and power to beat Allen.
