Massive fight reportedly in the works for UFC 324 as UFC prepares for Paramount era

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Nov 25, 2025 4:43 PM ET

A massive featherweight contest between top contenders Arnold Allen and Jean Silva is reportedly in the works for UFC 324.

Following last weekend’s UFC Qatar card that saw Arman Tsarukyan close out the promotion’s first visit to Qatar with a submission-win over Dan Hooker, only two UFC events remain on the 2025 calendar before the start of a new year and lucrative broadcasting deal with Paramount.

Though not made official by the promotion as of yet, the expectation is that UFC 324 will take place at T-Mobile Arena on January 24, and Mike Heck and Guilherme Cruz report that the card should feature a pivotal 145 lbs. clash between Allen and Silva.

Arnold Allen Stays At 145 lbs. After Lightweight Rumors

Following recent reports that he was considering a move up to the lightweight division, Allen will apparently stay at featherweight and try to defend his #6 ranking when he meets Silva on January 24.

Set to begin his eleventh year with the UFC in 2026, Allen established himself as one of the world’s elite fighters at 145 lbs. when he kicked off his UFC career with ten-straight wins. That run was capped off by an unfortunate injury TKO against Calvin Katter in late 2022, but he also stopped the aforementioned Hooker in the first round in his fight immediately before that.

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The 31-year-old’s momentum was halted by former featherweight king and current “BMF” titleholder Max Holloway before he also fell short against undefeated contender Movsar Evloev, but Allen returned to the win column last year at UFC 304 when he took a unanimous decision over Giga Chikadze.

Jean Silva Looks To Rebound From First UFC Loss

Set to return following the first loss of his UFC career, Silva has established himself as one of the most entertaining fighters on the roster since signing with the promotion off of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.

One of the increasingly-rare fighters to earn a UFC contract after winning by decision on DWCS, Silva knocked out Westin Wilson in his UFC debut and also stopped his next four opponents to jump into the featherweight rankings. Following a submission-win over Bryce Mitchell that secured his third-straight “Performance of the Night” bonus, “Lord” fell to former title challenger Diego Lopes in the headlining bout of this year’s Noche UFC.

Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Allen vs. Silva would be a stellar addition to what will undoubtedly be a stacked UFC 324 card, but for the moment the only other matchup currently expected to take place on January 24 is a light heavyweight contest between Nikita Krylov and Modestas Bukauskas.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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