UFC 324 Preview and Best Bets: Sean O’Malley, and More

The Paramount era of the UFC officially begins this weekend, as UFC 324 takes place from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. In the U.S., the pay-per-view days are done, as the UFC’s presentation of UFC 324 will be presented wall-to-wall exclusively on the Paramount+ app.

The main event will see an interim lightweight champion crowned, following Ilia Topuria’s recent step away from the Octagon to deal with a harsh custody battle. Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett will battle to determine the interim champion, who most likely will get the opportunity to unify with Topuria in either the spring or summer.

After Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes fell off due to Harrison’s neck injury, the co-main event will feature Sean O’Malley looking to rebound from back-to-back title fight losses, as he takes on Song Yadong.

The rest of the main card will feature a heavyweight clash between Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Derrick Lewis, a flyweight bout between Natalia Silva and Rose Namajunas, and a featherweight clash featuring Arnold Allen and Jean Silva.

Seven fights will make up the combined prelim card (early and late prelims), topped by Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo.

SEAN O’MALLEY VS. SONG YADONG

This fight means a lot for Sean O’Malley — in fact, it can mean everything.

O’Malley is coming off two losses for the first time in his career (and his second and third overall), dropping the bantamweight title to Merab Dvalishvili and getting submitted in the rematch.

If O’Malley wins here, he may already put himself one fight away from a title shot if Petr Yan keeps the gold. If he loses, does he try to move up to 145?

Song Yadong is not an easy task. He’s been an underrated name in the division and has won three of his last four, including a victory over Henry Cejudo at UFC Seattle last year. Since 2022, Yadong’s only losses have come against Cory Sandhagen and Yan himself. If Yadong wins this fight, perhaps he is the one who gets a title eliminator bout next.

That said, O’Malley is a proven elite talent in this division, and with extra fire under him, I doubt he loses to find himself at a crossroads.

Bet: O’Malley To Win (Moneyline) (DraftKings: -205)

UMAR NURMAGOMEDOV VS. DEIVESON FIGUEIREDO

Umar Nurmagomedov was one round away from defeating Merab Dvalishvili and becoming bantamweight champion at the start of 2025. Other than that comeback loss, he has been seemingly unstoppable in the Octagon, showing that again in his win over Mario Bautista at UFC 321. Like the last name implies, his grappling is dominant.

Deiveson Figueiredo had a big rebound his last time out in October, scoring a split decision over Montel Jackson. Figueiredo had come into that bout off two losses — though one was against Yan and the other was the result of an injury. Maybe Figueiredo isn’t the fighter he was when he was flyweight champion and Fighter of the Year in 2020, but he’s still tough, talented, and capable of giving Nurmagomedov a real test.

Bet: Nurmagomedov vs. Figueiredo To Go The Distance (FanDuel: -142)

JOSH HOKIT VS. DENZEL FREEMAN

Josh Hokit is a mixed bag. The former NFL player seems to be what the UFC is looking for in the struggling heavyweight division, but not everyone in the UFC audience buys into his schtick — especially given its similarities to Colby Covington. That said, he’s 7–0 and has scored finishes in every fight.

Denzel Freeman might be a step up for Hokit. Freeman is 7–1 with experience in PFL and LFA, the latter in which he was the heavyweight champion. A captain in the U.S. Marine Corps, Freeman could look to match Hokit’s grappling pressure and brute strength.

Both fighters may utilize grappling, but don’t get it twisted — this is still a heavyweight fight.

Bet: Fight To End Via KO/TKO/DQ (DraftKings & BetMGM: +150)