Justin Gaethje claimed the UFC interim lightweight championship for the second time with a unanimous decision victory over Paddy Pimblett in the main event of UFC 324 on Saturday. Following the win, Gaethje was promoted to the #1 contender spot in the lightweight rankings and is now positioned as the next challenger for undisputed titleholder Ilia Topuria whenever 'El Matador' returns to competition this year. The rankings update reflected Gaethje's rise, bumping Arman Tsarukyan to #2, while Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway dropped to #3 and #4 respectively. UFC 324 marked the promotion's debut on Paramount+ and delivered multiple finishes to kick off the year.
