Jul 27, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; UFC president Dana White speaks at a press conference after UFC on FOX 8 at Key Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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UFC 324 Report Emerges As UFC Journalist Details Surprising Plans For First Paramount-Backed Card

Jul 27, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; UFC president Dana White speaks at a press conference after UFC on FOX 8 at Key Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC’s partnership with new broadcast platforms always brings excitement and uncertainty. How will the promotion adapt its scheduling and matchmaking? Which fighters will headline these landmark events? Paramount’s involvement represents a significant shift in how the world’s premier MMA organization reaches its audience. January cards typically set the tone for the entire year ahead and UFC 324 would be a massive statement event for this new broadcasting era.

The Las Vegas card currently sits almost empty with only one scheduled fight between Nikita Krylov and Modestas Bukauskas. That’s about to change in a big way if recent reports prove accurate. UFC 324 gets a major update as Ariel Helwani reveals crucial details about the January card, potentially featuring one of the biggest women’s fights in promotional history as the Paramount era officially begins.

Amanda Nunes To Make A Potential Return At UFC 324

Helwani dropped the news on his podcast Monday, stating that Amanda Nunes vs Kayla Harrison for the women’s bantamweight title is being targeted as the main event for an upcoming UFC card. He specifically mentioned January as the timeframe, which would be UFC 324 in Las Vegas.

“It sounds as of now that [the Ilia Topuria] fight isn’t scheduled for January. What I’m hearing the plan is, front runner – Kayla vs Amanda. Could they do both? Sure. But I’m not hearing that that’s a part of the mix.”

🚨 Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes is currently the front runner to headline the first UFC numbered event in 2026, per @arielhelwani

"It sounds as of now that [the Ilia Topuria] fight isn't scheduled for January. What I'm hearing the plan is, front runner – Kayla vs Amanda.… pic.twitter.com/2w2B8DyhRe
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) November 24, 2025

It was earlier rumored that Ilia Topuria would make his first title defense on this card. But if this is true, fans might have to wait more to see ‘El Matador’ back in action. For now, this matchup makes complete sense from a storyline perspective. Nunes revealed back in June that she planned to return and wanted to fight whoever won the bout between Harrison and Julianna Pena. Harrison won that fight in June, capturing the bantamweight championship and setting up this dream matchup.

Nunes originally won that belt back in July 2016 and defended it five times before losing it to Pena at UFC 269 in 2021. She reclaimed the title from Pena the following year. Harrison brings a completely different background to this fight. She spent the first half of her career competing in judo and won Olympic gold medals in both 2012 and 2016 before transitioning to MMA in 2018.

The stylistic matchup between Harrison’s Olympic-level judo and Nunes’ complete striking arsenal should produce fireworks. If this fight actually happens at UFC 324, it’ll be one of the biggest women’s fights the sport has seen in years.

(Image Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea – Imagn Images)

Amanda Nunes

Ariel Helwani

Kayla Harrison

Paramount+

UFC 324

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!