When we look back on 2026 in December, the Justin Gaethje-Paddy Pimblett interim lightweight title battle that took place at UFC 324 last night in Las Vegas may very well rank among the Top 5 fights of the year. But it was discovered after the bout that the UFC had another gambling issue.
The Alexander Hernandez vs. Michael Johnson lightweight fight was canceled due to suspicious betting activity, UFC CEO Dana White disclosed during the post-fight press conference. Only a few hours prior to the fight, the UFC had declared that it was canceled without providing an explanation.
However, you gave the business credit. The UFC was alerted to irregular betting for the second time in a few months by Integrity Compliance 360, a global technology and advisory firm that specializes in integrity monitoring, regulatory compliance, and risk management for sports betting and igaming operators. They took prompt action.
Pimblett's Strategy Is Questioned
Before Isaac Dulgarian's featherweight bout against Yadier del Valle at a UFC Fight Night event in Las Vegas in November, bookies reported unusual betting activity, which led to Dulgarian's release from the UFC.
“Yeah, it happened again,” White told reporters afterwards. “That’s what it is. We got a call from the gaming integrity service and I said, I’m not doing this shit again. So pulled the fight.
“The FBI is already deep into this stuff, so I am sure this one will be next.”
There has been no update on fighters' suspension due to gambling issues.
White stated that he was unsure if the two fighters in question would receive a suspension.
Unfortunately, altogether, the UFC's debut on Paramount+—the first event to be televised there as part of its new $7.7 billion, seven-year partnership—was fantastic. Over 19,400 people attended T-Mobile Arena, and the gate revenue was $11 million.
A few hours previously, White told the reporters that the fight-related Paramount subscriber numbers would be made public "Tuesday or Wednesday," but that "this exceeded expectations by double... beyond belief for Paramount."
Paramount +'s UFC debut
The five-round back-and-forth bout between Gaethje and Pimblett left Pimblett's face covered in blood and bruises from taking hit after blow, particularly from the 37-year-old Gaethje's overhead rights.
“I didn’t know Paddy Pimblett had a chin like that until tonight,” said White afterwards. “He took some big shots from a guy who knocks everybody out. He was the favourite tonight. That’s what f&#@&@ him. Every other (fight) he was the underdog and everyone thinks he was going to lose. I don’t think his gameplan was the greatest. But he showed he’s tough, durable, especially against Gaethje, and you are eating those punches from him.”
After going toe-to-toe for three rounds, White said that perhaps Pimblett ought to have considered "taking him down" and submitting Gaethje. Fight statistics then support that.
Pay Attention to Topuria's Return Now
With the conclusion of UFC 324, White continued, attention will shift on Monday to the UFC White House event on June 14.
Gaethje is currently scheduled to take on UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. Topuria has temporarily left the UFC, but he has stated that he plans to fight again in six months if White decides to make that happen.
“Ilia hits like a truck,” he said. “So does Gaethje. If Gaethje prepares properly it should be a fun one.”
After the fight, there was an intriguing discussion regarding whether live betting would be affected by a delay between the live action and Paramount's broadcasting.
“I’d never thought about that,” White said. “It’s a great question. If you’re on a delay, depending on how bad the delay is, you probably wouldn’t even be allowed to live bet, by the time you wanted to bet on something it would probably be over. But even the delay would have to be 15-20 seconds or something. It’s not like there’s some huge delay in the broadcast.”