On Saturday night in Las Vegas (April 17), the Ultimate Fighting Championship returns with a 12-fight card that feels like a filler event, resting in the shadow of UFC 261 the following weekend.
That doesn’t mean there aren’t some relevant bookings on the UFC Vegas 24 card. The event has several fan-friendly scraps and a headliner that should help decide the next contender to middleweight king Israel Adesanya.
How to watch UFC Vegas 24 on April 17
- The prelims kick off at 7 pm EST on ESPN and can also be streamed on ESPN+
- The main card action will begin at 10 pm EST and can also be found on both ESPN and ESPN+
Read More: Bellator 257: When to watch, stream, and fight card details
UFC Vegas 24 fight card
The event consists of 12 bouts split between the main card and prelims. They are as follows.
Main Card (10:00 pm EST, ESPN & ESPN+)
Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose
Andre Arlovski vs. Chase Sherman
Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Jacob Malkous
Prelims (7:00 pm EST, ESPN & ESPN+)
Alexander Romanov vs. Juan Espino
Jessica Penne vs. Lupita Godinez
Bartosz Fabinski vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Zarah Fairn vs. Josiane Nunes
UFC Vegas 24: Appointment television bouts
Robert Whittaker vs. Kelvin Gastelum
This weekend, Robert Whittaker is in a position where simply getting a W should put him into a redemption title fight against reigning middleweight king Adesanya. “Reaper” is currently the top-ranked fighter in the division, is one of the best 185-pound fighters in UFC history, and another win would be three-straight over top-10 talent. However, he must beat former title contender Kelvin Gastelum to make the UFC booker’s job easy on Sunday morning.
As the replacement for original opponent Paulo Costa, it’s a win-win scenario for the eighth-ranked Gastelum. Especially, after fending his recent three-fight losing streak in February with his victory over Ian Heinisch. It could make the Arizona native more willing to take risks against “Bobby Knuckles” with so much to gain from a win, and far less to lose as the betting underdog.
PREDICTION: Whittaker def. Gastelum by unanimous decision
Jeremy Stephens vs. Drakkar Klose
Jeremy Stephens is in the midst of one of the most difficult periods in his 34-fight UFC career. The ninth-ranked featherweight is 0-4-1 in his last five and needs a win to maintain relevancy and top-15 status. Michigan native Drakkar Klose returns to the Octagon following a 14-month layoff and a loss to a red hot Beniel Dariush that ended a three-fight win streak. In the uber-veteran Stephens, Klose gets an opportunity to put a well-known UFC stalwart on his hit list. It’s a battle of relevancy from two very different sides of the spectrum.
PREDICTION: Stephens def. Klose by second round TKO
Jessica Penne vs. Lupita Godinez
At UFC on Vegas 24, strawweight Jessica Penne returns to the Octagon after a three-year hiatus. Following a 20-month USADA suspension and several failed bookings afterward. She will be welcomed back to the cage by Legacy Fighting Alliance strawweight champion Lupita Godinez. The booking is a battle between an elder stateswoman in the 38-year-old Penne looking to restart her career and get her first win since 2014, against the 11-years younger “Loopy” aiming to make a major statement in her UFC debut.
PREDICTION: Godinez def. Penne third round TKO
Andrei Arlovski vs. Chase Sherman
Even after 50 fights, Andre Arlovski remains a fighter worth watching. That’s because he is likely to knock someone out (which he has done 17 times) or get knocked out (which has happened on 11 occasions) in his bouts. In Chase Sherman, the Belarusian gets a UFC and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship veteran looking to oblige him in trading powers shots. There isn’t a lot of reason to expect this one to go the distance.
PREDICTION: Sherman def. Arlovski by first round knockout
Read More: ALL upcoming UFC events and bouts
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