UFC on ESPN 24 has been ravaged by canceled bookings for weeks. Throughout the card and all the way up to the originally planned main event, the show has lost fights because of retirements, injuries, withdrawals, and even a notable fighter release. Fans lost out on a ridiculously interesting main event between returning former bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw and top contender Corey Sandhagen. A new opponent luckily was found for co-main eventer Donald Cerrone, after Diego Sanchez had a Diego Sanchez moment. However, the event still lost talents like Holly Holm, Julianna Pena, and Roxanne Modafferi. Nevertheless, despite all the unending swerves and changes the 12-fight card still has several relevant matchups and a headliner between two top-ten strawweights in Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez.
How to watch UFC on ESPN 24 on May 8
- The preliminary portion of the card commences at 5 pm ET exclusively on ESPN+
- Main card action begins at 8 pm ET and will be simulcast on both ESPN and ESPN+
UFC on ESPN 24 fight card
Main card (8 pm ET, ESPN & ESPN+)
Michelle Waterson vs Marina Rodriguez
Donald Cerrone vs. Alex Morono
Neil Magny vs. Geoff Neal
Maurice Greene vs. Marcos Rogerio De Lima
Diego Ferreira vs. Gregor Gillespie
Preliminary card (5 pm ET, ESPN+)
Phillip Hawes vs. Kyle Daukaus
Ludovit Klein vs. Michael Trizano
Ryan Benoit vs. Zarrukh Adashev
UFC on ESPN 24: Bouts worth your time
Neil Magny vs. Geoff Neal
Both Neil Magny and Geoff Neal were on serious hot streaks up until a few months ago. In December, Neal’s seven-fight win streak, that made him one of the hottest welterweights on the roster, was derailed by Stephen Thompson. The following month, Magny’s winning ways were stopped at three by fellow top-ten fighter Michael Chiesa. A new W could quickly right the ship for either man and restart their stalled ascensions up the 170-pound rankings. However, with a loss “Handz of Steel” will have his first career losing streak and “Haitian Sensation” will get back-to-back Ls for the first time since 2013. It’s a must-win for each if they hope to score money fights and become a contenders in 2021. In addition, it is a booking between two talented strikers that should display some enjoyable tactics and strategies from each man.
Prediction: Geoff Neal by unanimous decision
Diego Ferreira vs. Gregor Gillespie
The matchup between Diego Ferreira and Gregor Gillespie features two lightweights with a whole bunch of potential. Yet like Magny and Neal, these two are coming off a defeats that completely derailed all the momentum they had built up. Both competitors rest just outside the top-10, and a win over the other would put them right back in lost position of meaningful bookings with talents ranked ahead of them. Ferreira has grown into a well-rounded competitor during his 11-fight tenure in the UFC. With his only losses coming to elite lightweights in Dustin Poirier and twice to Beneil Dariush. While “The Gift” has been a highly regarded rising talent in the division for the last four years, using a grappling style few have been able to handle. Both can offer dangers on the ground and are not opposed to scrapping on the feet. It’s a fun fight that could decide both men’s futures as either contenders or pretenders.
Prediction: Ferreira by split-decision
Amanda Ribas vs. Angela Hill
Angela Hill has become a fan favorite for diehards by evolving into a very skilled fighter, and for her unique fight week charm. in 2019, she seemed like a fighter on the brink of a UFC pink slip. Yet following her loss to Xiaonan Yan at UFC 238, “Overkill” has won four of six, and her two defeats were razor-thin split decision setbacks to strawweight elites in Claudia Gadelha and Michelle Waterson. Amanda Ribas also has become a fan favorite. However, that came by way of winning her first four bouts in the Octagon and looking like the next superstar of the division. In dealing out losses to Mackenzie Dern, Randa Markos, and Paige VanZant in her UFC swan song. If Ribas wants to regain her momentum and prove ready for the big time at 115-pounds, she will have to defeat a competitor who’ll make her earn every single point she scores on fight night. This matchup has serious talent involved and is an under-the-radar fight of the night contender.
Prediction: Ribas by unanimous decision
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