The UFC wanted to launch its new broadcast deal with a statement, and according to Israel Adesanya, it couldn’t have asked for a better opening act.
Saturday night’s UFC 324 main event between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett did more than headline the first card of 2026. It marked the beginning of the UFC’s new media rights partnership with Paramount, and the five-round war delivered exactly the kind of chaos the promotion was hoping for.
Gaethje and Pimblett went to battle for 25 grueling minutes, with Gaethje dishing out sustained punishment while Pimblett refused to fold. The bout captivated fans and fighters alike, drawing high praise from former two-time UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who likened the fight to one of the most significant moments in MMA history.
“Main event was sick,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “This was sick, because the Spike TV deal—Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar showed out and made the whole world go, ‘What the fk?!’ This is like part two, I guess. It’s a new deal with Paramount and then the main event fking showed out.”
Adesanya pointed to the historic Griffin vs. Bonnar fight at The Ultimate Fighter 1 finale in 2005, a bout widely credited with propelling the UFC into the mainstream. That fight became the first inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame and helped ignite the promotion’s rapid growth into a global powerhouse.
“I don’t know how it works in America with the subscription,” Adesanya added, “but I’m sure everyone watched this. A lot of eyes on this, and the main event delivered, which is what you want.”
While Gaethje vs. Pimblett may not ultimately carry the same historical weight as Griffin-Bonnar, it has already positioned itself as an early frontrunner for Fight of the Year. For Adesanya, the fight also marked a major moment for Pimblett, who earned widespread respect despite coming up short on the scorecards.
“Shout out to Paddy,” Adesanya said. “For him to get an interim fight, it reminded me of my own. I was like, ‘Man, you really have to put it in there,’ and he did. He stayed up. He proved that Scousers don’t get knocked out.”
Gaethje’s performance also struck a chord with Adesanya, who related to watching a fellow veteran defy expectations late in his career. At 35, Gaethje turned back the clock to become a two-time interim lightweight champion, reinforcing his place among the division’s elite.
“That’s what they do,” Adesanya said. “But the old dogs are still here. You’ve got to remember that.”
Outside of UFC 324, Adesanya has remained vocal about the current state of the middleweight division. Ahead of his return against Joe Pyfer at UFC Seattle in March, the former champion admitted he feels detached from today’s 185-pound landscape.
“The middleweight division right now isn’t really the same as when I was in the game,” Adesanya said during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“I gave people something to feel, whether they loved me or hated me. Right now, it just feels bland. Other divisions are way more exciting.”
Even so, if UFC 324 proved anything, it’s that marquee moments still matter. And with Adesanya watching closely, the UFC’s new era appears to be off to a thunderous start.
