UFC 324’s biggest shift isn’t Gaethje vs Pimblett — it’s how (and when) fans have to watch tonight

UFC 324 is forcing fight fans to rethink their usual “PPV night” routine. The headline bout between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett is drawing the clicks, but the real disruption is the broadcast change: this numbered card is built around streaming access, not a separate pay-per-view purchase. That has made “what time does it start?” and “where do I watch?” the dominant questions — especially for viewers outside North America trying to line up an overnight schedule.

The timing problem: “tonight” depends on your country

For many fans, UFC 324 is Saturday night. For others, it’s already early Sunday. If you’re in Cairo, the main card lands deep into the morning — and that’s before you factor in the undercard pacing, walkout delays, or last-minute bout changes.

Here are the scheduled start times that matter most:

• Early prelims: 5:00 PM ET (Sat, Jan 24) → 12:00 AM Cairo (Sun, Jan 25)

• Prelims: 7:00 PM ET (Sat, Jan 24) → 2:00 AM Cairo (Sun, Jan 25)

• Main card: 9:00 PM ET (Sat, Jan 24) → 4:00 AM Cairo (Sun, Jan 25)

A typical main card runs about 2.5–3.5 hours, depending on finishes and how long the broadcast desk stretches between fights. That puts a likely end window around 6:30–7:30 AM Cairo, with the usual “could be earlier if there are quick stoppages” caveat.

How to watch UFC 324

In the U.S., the card is set up to stream on Paramount+. The key point: you’re looking at a subscription-access model rather than the classic add-on pay-per-view purchase for a numbered event.

If you’re trying to watch from outside the U.S., the platform and availability can vary by territory, but the safest rule is the same everywhere: follow the event listing inside the service that holds rights where you live, because “free live stream” listings that pop up on fight nights are often scams or illegal mirrors that die mid-card.

The stakes: Pimblett gets his moment, Gaethje gets his kind of fight

This matchup is volatile in the best way. Gaethje is the division’s archetypal chaos engine — leg kicks, pressure, and a willingness to turn every exchange into a test of durability. Pimblett is less predictable: awkward timing, opportunistic grappling, and an ability to make fights messy enough to create openings.

Add the interim title framing, and you get a main event that isn’t just about hype. It’s about whether Pimblett can prove he belongs at the very top against a veteran who punishes mistakes.

The rest of the card: familiar names, career-defining crossroads

UFC 324’s depth is built around “who still matters in 2026” fights — the kind that reorder contender lines fast.

Notable main-card matchups expected on the broadcast:

• Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong (bantamweight, high-stakes for the next title picture)

• Rose Namajunas vs Natalia Silva (a stylistic clash with big implications at 125/115 depending on how it’s framed)

• Derrick Lewis vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta (heavyweight violence with very different paths to victory)

• Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva (a test of whether a rising threat is ready for the division’s grinder tier)

The main-event spotlight will be bright, but the fights above are the ones that can quietly reshape the year.

• If you’re watching for Pimblett, you’re also watching to see whether the promotion’s next headliner is real or protected by matchmaking.

• If you’re watching for Gaethje, you’re watching whether the mileage finally shows — or whether his style still breaks opponents who can’t keep their feet.

• If you’re watching for O’Malley, you’re watching if he can control range against someone who doesn’t care about his rhythm.

• If you’re watching for Lewis, you’re watching whether one punch still changes everything — because it usually does.

UFC 324 is “tonight,” but for a lot of people it’s an alarm-clock event. If you tell me your city (or just your time zone), I’ll convert the full schedule into your local times in one clean list.