We were dead wrong about Justin Gaethje. Every single one of us picked Paddy Pimblett to win at UFC 324, and Gaethje made us look like fools in what’s already an early candidate for fight of the year. Now we’re diving into our UFC 325 preview, where Alexander Volkanovski defends his featherweight title against Diego Lopes in Sydney, Australia—and the entire Ringside Report MMA crew is unanimous again. Should you trust us this time?
The 37-year-old Gaethje proved that age is just a number when you’ve got violence in your heart and dynamite in your hands. Pimblett took a vicious beating, his corner begged for takedowns that never came, and now there are serious questions about whether The Baddy will ever be the same fighter.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Gaethje dominated Pimblett: The 37-year-old interim champ dropped Pimblett multiple times, winning 49-46 on two scorecards in a fight-of-the-year candidate.
- Unanimous Volkanovski pick: All three hosts are picking Volk by decision against Diego Lopes in Sydney—but we were unanimous on Pimblett too.
- Movsar Evloev got robbed: The 19-0 contender beat Aljamain Sterling and still didn’t get the title shot over Lopes. Dave calls it “promotional malpractice.”
- Merab deserves better: O’Malley scraped by Song Yadong, but the UFC may skip Merab Dvalishvili for another title shot—which would be “very rude.”
UFC 325 Preview
UFC 324 Review: The Gaethje Humbling
The narrative heading into UFC 324 was clear: 37-year-old Justin Gaethje was on the decline, and 30-year-old Paddy Pimblett was primed to take the interim lightweight title and set up a unification bout with Ilia Topuria. The story wrote itself. Then Gaethje threw it in the trash.
“Turns out I’m tired of these guys building up. He still got it in him. He still got some gas left in his tank,” Dave Simon admitted. “Very impressive. Very impressive fight. Great fight. Patty took a vicious beating.”
Dave scored the fight 48-47 for Gaethje: “I gave Patty the fifth and maybe the third. But Gaethje clearly won the first and second round, put a beating on Patty in those rounds, dropped him several times.”
The official scorecards were even more decisive: 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47, all for Gaethje. The old man silenced everyone.
The Eye-Poke Controversy
AJ D’Alesio wasn’t ready to fully concede. “Let’s not forget the eye-pokes. That changed the whole game: the solar plexus punch in the first round. I mean, Patty was not the same after that.”
Dave pushed back: “You’re allowed to punch the solar plexus. Even if that affected him, that’s not illegal. It’s like saying, man, the punch to his eye that swelled it shut really affected him the rest of the fight. Yeah, well, no shit. That’s what Gaethje was trying to do.”
There was an initial eye poke and a second that the referee missed—one that should have resulted in a point deduction based on the ref’s earlier warning. But as Dave noted, Gaethje was so far ahead on the scorecards that it likely didn’t change the outcome.
Where Was Pimblett’s Wrestling?
The biggest question came from Pimblett’s corner—literally. “His corner was begging him to shoot a single, and he never did,” Dave observed. “You could hear them during the fight and between rounds, saying ‘Shoot the single, shoot the single,’ and he never tried. There was no grappling offense from Paddy Pimblett in 25 minutes of mixed martial arts.”
This was puzzling given Pimblett’s ground game credentials. Understanding takedown techniques in MMA is fundamental to Pimblett’s style, which made his decision to stand and trade even more baffling. “He decided to stand and bang with Justin Gaethje. It doesn’t seem like a smart game plan.”
Will Pimblett Ever Be the Same?
Fred Garcia raised the concern every Pimblett fan is thinking about: “Patty’s coming out of this with a lot of damage. Patty might not be the same fighter after. These are the type of fights that change a guy’s career. To be so close to a title shot, to not win it, and to get that type of beating—look, if he comes back better, I’ll give him props nonstop.”
“You’ve got to figure he suffered at least one concussion…”— Dave Simon on Pimblett’s physical toll
AJ referenced the cautionary tale that haunts every fighter who takes a career-defining beating: “A lot of fighters come back from that mental loss, and they just can’t shake it off. Tony Ferguson, a lot of guys, man, we’ve seen over time. They just can’t get that win. And the mind plays with them, and all of a sudden, it’s all over.”
The Pimblett-McGregor White House Rumor
Silver lining for Pimblett fans? “There are a lot of rumors that Patty will be the one to get the golden ticket to fight Conor McGregor at the White House,” Dave reported. “Patty versus Conor at the White House in early June.”
Fred saw the logic: “If that’s the case, Patty needs to work on his wrestling. Put McGregor to the ground and tap.”
But Dave had concerns about the matchup philosophy: “This isn’t wrestling, AJ. Two guys with a big fan base, two famous MMA fighters, and you make them fight each other. What are you talking about?”
O’Malley Scrapes By, Merab Gets Screwed
Sean O’Malley beat Song Yadong by unanimous decision (29-28 across the board), but the performance left the crew unimpressed. This continues a pattern we’ve analyzed extensively—O’Malley’s confidence has been shaken since the Merab Dvalishvili loss, and it showed against Song.
“I scored it for O’Malley, but I don’t think I was very impressed with his performance,” Fred admitted. “Michael Bisping and Chris Weidman, they were good company guys, selling O’Malley as the next title contender for Petr Yan. I wouldn’t give O’Malley a title shot.”
The bigger issue? Merab Dvalishvili is being skipped in the title picture. Merab was one of the greatest bantamweights ever. You’ve got to give him a rematch,” Fred insisted. Petr Yan won that fight. With everything Merab has accomplished, he should be getting the next title shot.”
Dave suggested another path: “I would like Sean O’Malley now to have to fight Umar Nurmagomedov. Umar beat Deiveson Figueiredo on Saturday night. O’Malley should have to beat these guys. Merab beat Umar. Let’s see O’Malley do it. I don’t think he can.”
“That’s not a good matchup for him,” Fred agreed. “At this point, with Sean O’Malley, it’s Merab, it’s Petr Yan, and it’s Umar Nurmagomedov. They’re all bad matchups.”
Dave put it bluntly: “Not giving it to Merab, skipping Merab and giving it to O’Malley right now is so UFC, but also very rude. Very rude.”
UFC 325 Preview: Volkanovski vs Lopes 2 in Sydney
Now to the UFC 325 preview everyone’s been waiting for. Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight title against Diego Lopes in Sydney, Australia—a rematch from their April 2025 fight that Volk won by unanimous decision.
The entire Ringside Report MMA crew is unanimous: Volkanovski by decision.
But wait—weren’t we unanimous on Pimblett too?
The Age Factor—Again
“I would mention the age difference—Volkanovski 37 and Diego Lopes 31,” Dave noted. “But that was the exact same age difference between Patty and Gaethje, and it worked out for Gaethje. So I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for Volkanovski.”
Fred added the obvious: “And the age difference between Volkanovski and Lopes has not changed from fight to fight.”
AJ was bullish on Volk: “At 37 years old, he looked amazing. Mind you, he hasn’t fought in over a year. But let’s not forget who Volkanovski is. This guy is a beast. He used to be a heavyweight in rugby. With the home crowd, with all the environmental factors behind him, and with the will this guy has, he wants to be a champion in his home country. I think that’s what’s going to happen.”
Why This Rematch Shouldn’t Be Happening
The crew had issues with the matchmaking—a recurring theme in our UFC 325 preview discussions. “This fight should have been either Volk versus Lerone Murphy or Volk versus Movsar Evloev,” Dave argued. “Movsar is 19-0, just beat Aljamain Sterling. I don’t know why this guy is not getting a title shot. When they gave this fight to Diego Lopes instead of Movsar Evloev, everybody went ‘What? Why?
Fred agreed: “There was no argument for Lopes getting an immediate rematch. I think Jean Silva would have been a more logical choice because he never fought Volk.”
## Reality Check: UFC Promotional Malpractice
> **The Reality:** Dave didn’t hold back on the UFC’s matchmaking: “Seriously, if they don’t give the winner of Lerone Murphy and Movsar the title shot, they’re fucked as a promotion. It’s over. They’re done. They can’t recover from that. No one will ever respect them.” The featherweight division has clear contenders being ignored for rematches nobody asked for—and Dave isn’t wrong to call it malpractice.
Dan Hooker vs Benoît Saint-Denis
The co-main features Dan Hooker taking on Benoît Saint-Denis (BSD), with BSD as the -370 favorite.
“I just think BSD is gonna be a little too much for him, a little too big, a little too strong,” Dave said. “Hooker’s a former 145er. I don’t love him at 155.”
Fred saw a pattern: “In his last fight, Hooker against Tsarukyan, a lot of people were saying him and the UFC were a little bit at odds, and they pretty much fed him to Tsarukyan. So are they doing the same thing against BSD? BSD is not as solid as Tsarukyan, so this is probably a closer matchup. But Benoît Saint-Denis should win on paper.”
UFC 325 Betting Parlays
After Gaethje busted all three parlays last week, the crew is back with new action for Sydney. Understanding how UFC fighters get paid helps contextualize why these betting markets matter—fighters need wins, and we need to pick winners.
AJ’s 6-Fight Parlay (+433)
$20 → $106.64
- Alexander Volkanovski – Featherweight title defense
- Benoît Saint-Denis – Too big for Hooker at 155
- Cameron Rowston – “I like this guy.”
- Quillan Salkilld – “-700 shows you this kid is something”
- Tallison Teixeira – Tai Tuivasa has lost five straight
- Billy Elekana – Prelim value pick
“I’m going all the way down under,” AJ explained.
Fred’s 2-Fight Parlay (+234)
$20 → $66.94
- Alexander Volkanovski (-140)
- Rafael Fiziev (-175) – “I’m seeing some pictures of him. I’m not sure what he’s been taking, but he looks jacked right now.”
Dave’s 3-Fight Parlay (+379)
$20 → $95.81
- Alexander Volkanovski (-140)
- Benoît Saint-Denis (-370)
- Torres Finny (+120) – “Living dangerously. Finny at plus 120 gives you a little underdog action.”
AJ raised concerns about the Finny pick: “Finny’s a beast, no doubt about it. But it’s his fatigue that bothers me. If they exhaust Finny, he might lose. Finny has to maul him in the first round.”
The Canadian PPV Problem
Dave brought up the ongoing frustration that’s become a regular segment on our UFC 325 preview shows: “I don’t know how many people in Canada are gonna look at this card and go ‘Yeah, I’m gonna spend $90 on this show.’ Paramount Plus is nine bucks in the States. Eighty bucks here. It’s ridiculous.”
The pay-per-view pricing disparity continues to frustrate Canadian fans, especially as the death of pay-per-view accelerates in the United States. Dave’s advice? “Makes more sense to steal it. Well, maybe I’m encouraging it. Yeah, I’m encouraging thievery. Be a thief. Do the thieving of big evil companies. They won’t notice. It’s okay.”
The UFC’s New Business Model
The crew discussed whether the UFC is shifting to a WrestleMania-style model—one mega show per year with mid-level cards throughout.
“Maybe that’s a business model,” Dave speculated. “Just have mid-level fights all year and do one Super Bowl-type event that everybody in the world has to watch. That’s how you drive people to buy the streaming service for a year.”
AJ agreed: “You provide what Fred called Fight Mania—one day of the year that’s really the WrestleMania of the UFC, and you pack it in with the craziest things.”
📜 Historical Context
Dave pointed to the history: “Traditionally, the UFC’s biggest fights of the year have always been July 4th weekend—International Fight Week.” The UFC has used this weekend for mega-events since the Zuffa era, making it the logical choice for any “Fight Mania” concept. With the White House card rumors and Paramount Plus integration, 2026 could see the UFC fully embrace the one-mega-show-per-year model.
UFC 325 Full Card
Main Card (Pay-Per-View) – Saturday, February 1, 2026
- Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs Diego Lopes – UFC Featherweight Title
- Dan Hooker vs Benoît Saint-Denis – Lightweight bout
- Rafael Fiziev vs Mauricio Ruffy – Lightweight bout
- Tai Tuivasa vs Tallison Teixeira – Heavyweight bout
- Jamie Mullarkey vs Quillan Salkilld – Lightweight bout
Big Weekend Ahead on Ringside Report Network
It’s a massive weekend of combat sports coverage. If you’re following the Royal Rumble action, we’ve got you covered there, too.
- Friday, January 31: Dave and Johnny North preview WWE’s Royal Rumble (10 PM ET)
- Saturday, February 1: WWE Royal Rumble Post Show with Dave, Johnny, and Ben (approximately 5-6 PM ET)
- Saturday, February 1: UFC 325 Watch Along (9 PM ET)
“I’m gonna be very busy on Saturday,” Dave said. “It’s going to be a busy weekend of combat sports. The Royal Rumble and UFC 325 are all going down, and we’ll be here for you on the Ringside Report Network.”
What time does UFC 325 start?
UFC 325 takes place on Saturday, February 1, 2026, in Sydney, Australia. The main card begins at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT, with the prelims starting earlier in the evening. The Ringside Report Network will host a watch-along starting at 9 PM ET.
Who is favored to win Volkanovski vs Lopes 2?
Alexander Volkanovski is the betting favorite at -140 heading into UFC 325. Volkanovski won their first meeting by unanimous decision in April 2025, and all three Ringside Report MMA hosts are picking Volk to win by decision again in his home country of Australia.
Will Paddy Pimblett fight Conor McGregor?
Rumors suggest Paddy Pimblett may be in line to fight Conor McGregor at the White House card in early June 2026. Despite losing to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324, Pimblett’s star power and fan-friendly style make him an attractive opponent for McGregor’s return.
Why didn’t Movsar Evloev get the UFC 325 title shot?
Movsar Evloev is 19-0 and just beat former champion Aljamain Sterling, yet the UFC gave Diego Lopes an immediate rematch instead. Dave Simon called this ‘promotional malpractice’ and said the UFC would be ‘done as a promotion’ if they continue to skip deserving contenders like Evloev.
What happened to Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324?
Paddy Pimblett lost to Justin Gaethje by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) in a fight-of-the-year candidate. Pimblett was dropped multiple times, suffered eye pokes, and notably never attempted a takedown despite his corner repeatedly asking for it. There are concerns about whether he’ll be the same fighter after taking significant damage.
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