Paddy Pimblett v Justin Gaethje: How to watch UFC 324 on Virgin TV

The UFC was established in 1993 and, in the 32-and-a-bit years since, there have been just three British champions. Michael Bisping, Leon Edwards and Tom Aspinall form an elite club within UK mixed martial arts. Could that club soon have another member?

Paddy Pimblett is certainly well on his way to being Britain’s best-known UFC fighter – if he’s not there already – and he’s undoubtedly got the talent to back that up. The Liverpudlian fighter is one of the highest-rated fighters in the lightweight division and this weekend, he could take another huge stride towards claiming a championship belt.

And you can see his clash with the US’s Justin Gaethje, the headline bout at UFC 324 in Las Vegas, live on TNT Sports with Virgin Media, late night on Saturday 24 January.

With the rising British star taking on the UFC legend, a hotly anticipated co-headline bout and a series of mouthwatering match-ups on the fight card, it’s an event not to be missed. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of this explosive night of UFC action.

With his outsize personality and distinctive strawberry-blond hair, Pimblett was earmarked as a future star in both sport and the media when he arrived on the UK MMA scene aged just 17 in 2012. But he’s not just a joker – he’s serious about the sport. He soon signed with London-based promotion Cage Warriors and stuck with them to gain the necessary experience even when the UFC came calling.

He made his UFC debut in September 2021 in Las Vegas and was awarded Performance of the Night as he knocked out Luigi Vendramini, an honour he also claimed in his next two fights. In fact, he’s won it for five of his seven fights as he tore through the lightweight division, seeing off tricky opponents including former championship challenger Michael Chandler at UFC 314. He’s gained an all-round set of skills over the years, combining elements of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai with strong striking power to create a highly effective style.

And like a true icon of modern sports, he’s been building his profile in lots of other ways too: a strong social media presence (@theufcbaddy), a podcast (Paddy The Baddy) and a reality TV show, Paddy & Molly: Show No Mersey (available in Apps > BBC iPlayer), focusing on him and close pal Molly McCann, a fellow Scouser and UFC fighter. It’s no surprise to see him pop up on A League Of Their Own or Chicken Shop Date.

But when Pimblett steps into the Octagon, he’s not the Instagram star or TV personality. He’s a fighter with the lightweight championship in his sights, and he’s determined not to let anything stop him.

Arizona-born Gaethje was a high school and college wrestling star who started his MMA journey in the World Series of Fighting, where he dominated the lightweight category, winning the first ever championship and holding it until he signed for the UFC in 2017. By 2020 he’d won the interim lightweight belt and earned himself a shot at the title. But he was beaten by Khabib Nurmagomedev at UFC 254 and it slowed his progress.

British fans got a chance to see him in the flesh when he took on Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 in London, a majority decision victory, and he claimed the symbolic but coveted “BMF” belt by beating another former interim champ, Dustin Poirier. (Let’s just say it doesn’t stand for “Best MMA Fighter”.) Gaethje’s wrestling background gives him a superb defence, but he’s evolved over the years to incorporate powerful punches and kicks into his repertoire, creating a “controlled chaos” style that makes his fights thrillingly unpredictable.

Like Pimblett, he’s among the highest-rated lightweights, and it all adds up to a fantastic clash in prospect at the first UFC event of 2026. It’s one fans won’t want to miss.

It’s the rare headline bout at a main UFC event where there’s no championship on the line – which illustrates the fans’ desire to see these two face off. Ilia Topuria is the lightweight champion, but he’s stepped back from competing for now, so Pimblett and Gaerthje will compete for the interim title. Whoever wins is likely to get a shot at the full belt when Topuria returns to the UFC.

Michael Chandler, who’s fought and lost to both Pimblett and Gaethje, says it will be close. “I think the better fighter all around is Justin Gaethje, but I’ve also been on record saying Paddy Pimblett is a lot better than people think he is,” Chandler says.“ His haircut and the way he talks… people don’t give Paddy a lot of credit. He’s got long reach, good kicks, [and is] pretty darn patient and composed. But Gaethje’s a whole different animal.”

Fans were excited about the return of legendary two-weight champion Amanda Nunes in the co-headline bout as she challenged bantamweigt champ Kayla Harrison, but sadly Harrison had to pull out with a neck injury. The men’s bantamweight clash between Sean O’Malley and Song Yadong has been promoted to co-headline, while the night’s card also brings a heavyweight bout featuring Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Derrick Lewis, and the chance to see another rising British star in featherweight Arnold Allen, who takes on Brazil’s Jean Silva.

You can see this fight on TNT Sports with Virgin Media from 12am on Sunday 25 January 2026 (so late Saturday night). It’s available to order from 10am on Tuesday 20 January and costs £19.99 (HD only).

The event cannot be recorded and will be repeated every three hours from 12pm on Sunday 25 January to 9pm on Monday 26 January (last playout). Customers can view repeats free if they have purchased the live event. Customers who did not purchase the live event can separately purchase the repeats for the same price as the live event.

To watch this event, you must have a TiVo® box, Virgin TV V6 box (powered by TiVo®), a Virgin TV 360 box or Stream box.

Customers with our TiVo® and V6 boxes: Go to Home > On Demand > Live Events. Press the red button then choose the event and follow the instructions on screen. A TV PIN may not be required. To view your booking, once purchased, go to On Demand > Live Events > Event Bookings.

Customers with our Virgin TV 360 or Stream boxes: Go to Home > Pay Per View events rail. Press OK, then choose the event and follow the instructions on screen. A TV PIN may not be required. To view your booking, once purchased, go to Home > Pay Per View events rail.