For weeks, UFC 324 was hyped as Paramount’s big swing. The first true pay-per-view event of the new streaming deal, and the card was meant to usher in a new era. Two title fights, six past champions, and the long-anticipated return of Amanda Nunes and Kayla Harrison. It should have been difficult to mess up. But when Ilia Topuria pulled out of his title defense earlier today, announcing that he would not be fighting at least until late 2026 due to a “private situation,” everything began to collapse.

Rather than creating buzz, the announcement by Dana White sparked outrage. Fans did not see a historic new era; instead, they saw Dana White attempting to sell a pay-per-view without a centerpiece. And that frustration swiftly turned into something louder, sharper, and far more united than anyone at the UFC had anticipated.

Fans unleash brutal criticism at Dana White’s UFC 324 card

Once the word got out, fans wasted little time burying the event. “UFC 324 and UFC 325 are complete jokes and an embarrassment to the sport,” one person remarked. Another put it more bluntly, “UFC 324 is an embarrassment & the sport is dead.” The optimism for the Paramount debut lasted approximately ten seconds, long enough for the internet to notice that the main event was something they didn’t care about.

The avalanche did not end with the event itself. It turned directly to the head honcho of the promotion. “Dana White could have done better than this for UFC 324!” a fan wrote, while another said, “These announcements have overly pissed me off. NUKE DANA WHITE NOW!”

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The outrage only grew further: “Dana White continues to ruin this sport. I f****** cannot believe how the sport is in such a dogs*** position,” and the final, cold verdict: “I’m not watching Dana White. Ever.” However, the most explosive emotions were kept for the main event.

Instead of a fight between the champion and the number one contender, fans will get to see Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett for the interim lightweight belt, and the internet did not hold back. “Should have been Arman vs. Paddy, bruh,” one user claimed, while another dubbed the choice “dumba**… unbelievable. Arman robbed.”

Others mocked it outright, writing “Gaethje vs. Paddy is a joke 🤣” and “Dana White Privilege.” The accusation? Justin Gaethje promised to retire unless the UFC gave him gold, and it seems they’ve surely caved now. But is the fight card really as bad as the fans believe?

UFC 324 is not as bad as it seems

The frustration from the announcement still hangs over the UFC 324 event, but peeling back the layers reveals a simpler truth. The card itself was not the main issue. On paper, UFC 324 appears to be stacked with two title fights, past champions everywhere, and a main event that most pay-per-views would envy. It is just that once Ilia Topuria decided to stay inactive, leading to the interim title being announced, and Arman Tsarukyan was left out of the angle, nobody cared about the names anymore.

The momentum collapsed before anyone even looked at what was left. As a result, bouts like Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes received little attention. Sean O’Malley vs. Song Yadong, a bout that fans begged for months ago, has been nothing but ignored now. Even Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Deiveson Figueiredo and Alexa Grasso vs. Rose Namajunas got drowned out by the backlash. It wasn’t the quality; it was the vibe – fans felt the UFC blew a big opportunity and stopped giving the rest of the show a chance.

But the truth is, these fights could still deliver. Gaethje vs. Paddy will be pure chaos, no matter who hates the matchup. Nunes vs. Harrison might be one of the biggest women’s fights ever. And the rest of the lineup is impressive enough to steal the show. The problem with UFC 324 isn’t the card; it’s the timing, the presentation, and the sense that fans checked out before the first punch was thrown.