Paramount teaming up with UFC and turning their numbered cards into subscription-only events is one of the biggest shakeups the fight game’s had in years. No pay-per-view, no premium add-ons — just UFC 324 and twelve more marquee cards landing straight onto Paramount+ for U.S. and Latin American fans. For a sport that’s rinsed wallets for more than two decades, this is a genuine shift.
And they’re not easing into it. UFC 324 on January 24 at T-Mobile Arena comes out swinging with two massive title fights: Justin Gaethje vs Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett for the interim lightweight belt, and Kayla Harrison defending her women’s bantamweight crown against the returning legend Amanda Nunes. As debuts go, this is a head-on collision.
Why UFC 324 Might Be The Perfect Launch For The Paramount Deal
The card isn’t just stacked — it’s obnoxiously loaded. Six current or former champions, according to Dana White, plus the biggest women’s fight the UFC can make right now. Gaethje vs Pimblett alone will drag half the internet into arguments for months, and Nunes coming back after time off instantly spikes the stakes for Harrison, who’s been marching toward G.O.A.T chatter.
Paramount rolled out a full 360-degree campaign to push this partnership. Spots across CBS, Paramount+, every cable network they own, new trailers dropping in theatres — they’re throwing the kitchen sink at this thing. Cindy Holland summed it up simply:
“Paramount+ and UFC are transforming the mixed martial arts fan experience… making Paramount+ the definitive home of UFC.”
Dana White, never shy with a headline, dropped his own sledgehammer:
“This card is absolutely stacked… This deal is such a huge win for fans with no more pay-per-view. I look forward to 2026 being our best year ever.”
The Rest Of The Card Is Pure Violence
If the main and co-main weren’t enough, the undercard is madness in itself.
Sean O’Malley vs Song Yadong
O’Malley trying to claw back toward a title shot while Song happily volunteers to derail him.
Waldo Cortes Acosta vs Derrick Lewis
Lewis doesn’t promise decisions. Ever.
Arnold Allen vs Jean Silva
A proper featherweight scrap between ranked strikers who both need a marquee win.
Alexa Grasso vs Rose Namajunas
Two former champions on the featured prelim. That alone tells you the card is overloaded.
Ateba Gautier vs Andrey Pulyaev
Middleweights who throw with bad intentions. Don’t blink.
Early prelims start 5 p.m. ET, with the main card at 9 p.m. ET. All of it on Paramount+. No PPV price tag in sight.
The UFC has been flirting with the subscription-only idea for years, but this — thirteen numbered events locked into one platform — is a proper line in the sand. Fans get more access, the UFC gets a broader mainstream push, and Paramount gets the biggest live-sport engine in combat sports. If UFC 324 delivers the chaos it promises, this partnership might shift the whole MMA landscape.