Gabriel Bonfim and Ange Loosa meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ESPN 59 from Ball Arena in Denver. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa UFC on ESPN 59 preview
Bonfim (15-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) enters his first fight of 2024, looking to rebound from the first loss of his professional career in a TKO loss to Nicolas Dalby in November. The Dana White’s Contender series veteran won his fight on the show in the first round, and then went on to finish his first two UFC opponents, Mounir Lazzez and Trevin Giles, by first-round submission. … Loosa (10-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC) will seek his first win/loss result of the year after an accidental eye poke from Bryan Battle led to a no contest in their March bout. After dropping a decision in his UFC debut to Mounir Lazzez, Loosa then went on to win back-to-back decisions over AJ Fletcher and Rhys McKee.
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa UFC on ESPN 59 expert pick, prediction
Filling out the main card on ESPN is a welterweight bout between Bonfim and Loosa.
Considering both fighters have, to differing degrees, struggled with stamina and pacing, it’s a classic diabolical move by the matchmakers to pit these two against each other at high elevation.
Loosa appears to have the superior staying power between the two, but I’m not sure this battle bodes well for him from a stylistic perspective.
Not only will Bonfim’s lead-hand length and kicks provide problems for the shorter stature of his foe, but Loosa’s recent trend of mixing in takedowns for shelter could cost him badly considering his Brazilian counterpart’s dangerous proclivity for front chokes.
For that reason, I’ll side with Bonfim to finish what Bryan Battle started by finishing Loosa in round 2.
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa UFC on ESPN 59 odds
The oddsmakers and the public have this fight at a pick’em, listing Dober -110 and Silva -110 via FanDuel.
Gabriel Bonfim vs. Ange Loosa UFC on ESPN 59 start time, how to watch
As the featured bout, Bonfim and Loosa are expected to make their walks to the cage at approximately 11:05 p.m. ET (9:05 p.m. local time in Denver). The fight airs on ESPN and streams live on ESPN+.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 59.
