Ryan Wohl gives his picks for the first event of the Paramount+ era, UFC 324, headlined by Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett.

The Paramount+ era has arrived for the UFC as they are hosting their first numbered event of the year, UFC 324, on Saturday, January 24, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Main Event features an Interim Lightweight Championship bout between No. 4 Justin Gaethje vs. No. 5 Paddy Pimblett.

The Early Prelims begin at 5:00 p.m. ET, Prelims start at 7:00 p.m. ET, with the Main Card starting at 9:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+. Check out my favorite fighters to add to your daily fantasy lineup for Saturday’s UFC 324 event.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $600K UFC 324 Special [$200K to 1st]

Ateba Gautier ($9,700)

One of the best young rising prospects in the UFC is Ateba Gautier, who is 23 years old and is 9-1 with eight knockouts. After earning a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2024, Gautier went 3-0 in his first year in the UFC with three first-round knockouts. Gautier has won eight consecutive fights, with seven of them coming by first-round knockout.

Now Gautier faces Andrey Pulyaev in the second-to-last fight on the UFC 324 Prelims. Gautier lands 6.57 significant strikes per minute, which is nearly three more than Pulyaev does. Although both fighters are 6’4″, Gautier has a three-inch reach advantage (81″ vs. 78″). Pulyaev, 28, is 10-3 with eight finishes and is coming off a second-round knockout over Nick Klein in August 2025.

Even though Gautier is not yet a ranked fighter and is on the Prelims, he is still the second-highest-priced fighter on this card. That is because Gautier has been an elite performer, scoring 107.5, 107.6, and 111.2 fantasy points in his three fights in the UFC. Although Pulyaev is skilled, Gautier is the better athlete and striker, which should allow him to pressure Pulyaev and pick up another big finish.

Paddy Pimblett ($8,900)

Since joining the UFC, Pimblett has been on a fantastic run, winning seven consecutive fights in the promotion. Dating back to his days in Cage Warriors, Pimblett has won nine straight contests. Pimblett is coming off the most significant victory of his career against Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April 2025. Gaethje recently beat Rafael Fiziev and is 3-1 in his previous four contests. “The Highlight” is a former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion, but has lost his last two official UFC title fights. Gaethje defeated Dustin Poirier at UFC 291 in July 2023 for the BMF title, but it isn’t a legitimate lightweight title. 

Getting Pimblett at $8,900 is an excellent addition to your lineup, as he has been an elite fantasy contributor recently. Pimblett has scored at least 103 fantasy points in two of his last three fights, with the lone outing under 100 points being 93.6 against King Green. 

Pimblett has a three-inch reach advantage (73″ vs. 70″) in this fight, but Gaethje is slightly taller (5’11” vs. 5’10”) than him. In this contest, Gaethje averages more significant strikes per minute (6.59 vs. 5.19) while being the more accurate striker (58% vs. 53%). But Pimblett only absorbs 31.4 significant strikes per minute, which is 4.04 fewer than Gaethje, while being the better fighter on the ground. Pimblett lands 0.86 more takedowns but is elite at finishing fights on the ground, averaging 1.7 submissions per 15 minutes. Pimblett is the younger fighter by six years and has the tools to beat Gaethje and put on a terrific fantasy performance with his versatile skill set.

Derrick Lewis ($7,000)

Derrick “The Black Beast” Lewis is taking on Waldo “Salsa Boy” Cortes-Acosta in a high-stakes heavyweight three-round contest. Cortes-Acosta has been on an incredible run, winning seven of his previous eight bouts and finishing 2025 with a 4-1 record. Even though Lewis is nearing his 41st birthday, he is currently on a two-fight winning streak with his latest victory coming against Tallison Teixeira. 

Cortes-Acosta is one inch taller (6’4″ vs. 6’3″), while Lewis has a one-inch reach advantage (79″ vs. 78″). Yes, Cortes-Acosta averages more significant strikes (5.55 vs. 2.51), but Lewis is more efficient (50% vs. 48%) while possessing more power on the feet. Adding Lewis to your lineup for only $7,000 is a great value pick since Lewis is coming off a 129.2-point performance. Also, Lewis has two performances in his last four fights of at least 129 fantasy points.

Set your DraftKings fantasy MMA lineups here: UFC $600K UFC 324 Special [$200K to 1st]