The UFC wanted a spectacle to launch its $7.7 billion deal with Paramount, and boss Dana White made sure fans heard about it in the loudest way possible. During a primetime NFL broadcast, he promised a “stacked” UFC 324 card, one he believes marks a turning point for the sport. “This card is absolutely stacked – every fight is a must-see. This deal is such a huge win for fans with no more pay-per-view. I look forward to 2026 being our best year ever.” White said, calling Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes “the biggest women’s fight ever.”

It was a victory lap designed for millions of viewers, the kind of moment you’d expect to unify the fanbase. But did it? Or did the celebration open a different kind of conversation, one that exposed the cracks in the UFC’s matchmaking logic just as the promotion prepares for its most accessible year ever? Hours later, one of MMA’s most influential voices flipped the spotlight as veteran journalist Ariel Helwani didn’t just critique the card; he fired a warning shot about a pattern he believes fans shouldn’t ignore.

In a pointed message on X, Helwani wrote, “Next time you’re told we make the best fights remember this moment,” before listing the matchups he believes were mishandled.

He pointed at “Gaethje/Paddy with Arman ready,” “Volk/Diego with Movsar and Lerone ready,” and “Islam/Usman (presumably) with Shavkat, Morales, Prates, Garry all ready.” And then came his final swing: “And an interim title fight – not featuring the top contender – over one of the best female fights ever.”

To understand why this hit so hard, you have to look at the context surrounding the announcement. Instead of allowing Ilia Topuria’s absence to clear the decks for Arman Tsarukyan, arguably the division’s most deserving contender, the UFC jumped straight to an interim title featuring Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett.

Yes, Pimblett is coming off a career-defining win over Michael Chandler and is on a 7-fight win streak in the promotion. But even Pimblett’s most ardent supporters would agree the matchup has more to do with star power than competitive ranking. And Helwani’s next example only sharpened that point. In the featherweight division, with Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy both ready and undefeated, their omission definitely raised eyebrows.

Add in the absence of names like Michael Morales, Carlos Prates, or even Ian Garry, and suddenly even the welterweight division looks stacked with deserving names that didn’t get a call.

That’s the contradiction Ariel Helwani wants fans to see. Dana White stood on a national broadcast and preached that 2026 would be “our best year ever,” driven by meritocracy and “must-see” fights. Yet the first card of the new era, the very symbol of that promise, leans heavily toward star-power matchmaking that bypasses several true No. 1 contenders. But the other important question is, why isn’t Ilia Topuria fighting on the card?

Ilia Topuria reveals he’s out of UFC 324 as Dana White’s announcement sparks debate online

The answer arrived quietly, through a sober statement from the champion himself. Instead of training for a January title defense, Ilia Topuria is taking what he called a “brief step back from competition.”

Topuria explained,“I won’t be fighting in the first quarter of next year. I’m going through a difficult moment in my personal life. I want to focus on my children and resolve this situation as soon as possible.”

He added that he doesn’t “want to hold up the division,” making it clear he supported the UFC’s decision to build an interim title in his absence. The undefeated champion didn’t hide from responsibility, he addressed it head-on, saying the UFC “will make the matchups needed,” and he’ll notify them the moment he’s ready to return.

And that return will be one of the sport’s biggest storylines. After all, ‘El Matador’ just completed one of the most dramatic rises in recent memory: knockouts of Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, a move up to lightweight, and a first-round finish of Charles Oliveira to become a two-division UFC champion. Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev’s welterweight success pushed him to No. 1 pound-for-pound, leaving Topuria just behind him at No. 2.

As such, UFC 324 has become far more than a card announcement; it’s a case study in the tension that’s defined the promotion for years. On one side, Dana White is celebrating a historic deal, a “stacked” lineup, and a year he insists will be the best the UFC has ever seen. On the other hand, Ariel Helwani is urging fans to look past the fireworks and ask a harder question: if these are the first matchmaking choices of the new era, what does that say about the UFC’s priorities?