UFC fight tomorrow (17 April 2021): Is there an event and who is fighting?
UFC is set to host an event this Saturday, 17 April 2021. The show will be headlined by Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum. Both middleweights will battle it out in a crucial clash that is likely to determine the next title contender in the 185-pound division.
UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Gastelum, also tagged as UFC Vegas 24, will take place at the APEX facility in Nevada. The card's co-main event will be an exciting featherweight contest between UFC veteran Jemery Stephens and Drakkar Klose.
This time around, the show will be broadcast on ESPN / ESPN+. UFC Vegas 23, the last UFC event headlined by Kevin Holland and Marvin Vettori, was aired on ABC.
This will be the first time Whittaker will fight an opponent at the UFC APEX facility. In his previous two outings, The Reaper competed at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
UFC fight tomorrow: Whittaker vs. Gastelum
Robert Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum were scheduled to share the Octagon at UFC 234 in February 2019. The Reaper was coming off a big win over Yoel Romero, while Gastelum had secured a close split decision victory against Ronaldo Souza in his previous fight.
Just a few hours before the event, Whittaker was forced to pull out of the fight as he had to undergo emergency dual surgery.
After more than two years, Gastelum will finally have an opportunity to settle his scores with Whittaker. He is currently ranked No.8 in the middleweight division. Meanwhile, Whittaker comfortably sits on top, thanks to two huge victories over Darren Till and Jared Cannonier.
UFC Vegas 24 will also see former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski return and he is set to face Chase Sherman. The 42-year-old had succumbed to a defeat in his last fight against Tom Aspinall at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis.
Ghana's Abdul Razak Alhassan will go up against Jacob Malkoun at UFC Vegas 24 in a middleweight bout. Luis Pena will also feature on the card. He will face Alexander Munoz in a lightweight clash.
Here is the list of fights expected to take place on the preliminary card:
Women’s flyweight: Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish
Heavyweight: Alexander Romanov vs. Juan Espino
Women’s strawweight: Jessica Penne vs. Lupita Godinez
Middleweight: Gerald Meerschaert vs. Bartosz Fabiński
Lightweight: Austin Hubbard vs. Dakota Bush
Women’s bantamweight: Zarah Fairn Dos Santos vs. Josiane Nunes
Bantamweight: Tony Gravely vs. Anthony Birchak