The UFC heads to Denver this week for the first time in nearly six years, and a former champion headlines the card in front of her home fans.
Here’s how to watch UFC on ESPN 59 with women’s strawweights in the main event spot, plus welterweight and lightweight potential fireworks on the main card.
Broadcast and streaming info
Brendan Fitzgerald, Dominick Cruz, Paul Felder
UFC on ESPN 59 has a main card that starts at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. The preliminary card airs on ESPN and streams on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.
Veteran broadcaster Karyn Bryant serves as desk anchor and host at UFC on ESPN 59.
Anthony Smith, the No. 13 fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie light heavyweight rankings, as well as MMA coach Din Thomas, will join Bryant as analysts at the desk.
Longtime UFC correspondent Megan Olivi will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC on ESPN 59 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.
Brendan Fitzgerald will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC on ESPN 59..
He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by former UFC and WEC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, as well as retired lightweight contender Paul Felder.
– Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie
Main event: Rose Namajunas
Record: 13-6 MMA, 105 UFC
Opponent: Tracy Cortez (11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Key wins: Paige VanZant, Tecia Pennington, Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Joanna Jedrzejczyk (twice), Jessica Andrade, Weili Zhang (twice), Amanda Ribas
Misc.: Namajunas lost her strawweight title to Carla Esparza in her second reign as champion. Her move to flyweight started with a loss to Manon Fiorot, but she bounced back against Amanda Ribas in March. Cortez is a late replacement for Maycee Barber.
Main event: Tracy Cortez
Tracy Cortez
Record: 11-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC
Opponent: Rose Namajunas (13-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Key wins: Erin Blanchfield, Mariya Agapova, Stephaniee Egger, Melissa Gatto, Jasmine Jasudavicius
Misc.: Cortez stepped up for Maycee Barber for the short-notice fight, which would be the biggest win on her resume. She hasn’t lost since her pro debut.
Co-main event: Santiago Ponzinibbio
Apr 8, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Kevin Holland (red gloves) fights Santiago Ponzinibbio (blue gloves) during UFC 287 at Miami-Dade Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rich Storry-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 29-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC
Opponent: Muslim Salikhov (19-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Sean Strickland, Court McGee, Zak Cummings, Gunnar Nelson, Mike Perry, Neil Magny, Alex Morono
Misc.: After a seven-fight winning streak, it’s been tougher sledding for the Brazilian in the wake of a layoff of more than two years. Since January 2021, he’s dropped four of six fights.
Co-main event: Muslim Salikhov
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 03: (L-R) Muslim Salikhov of Russia punches Randy Brown of Jamaica in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on February 03, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Record: 19-5 MMA, 6-4 UFC
Opponent: Santiago Ponzinibbio (29-7 MMA, 11-6 UFC)
Division: Welterweight
Key wins: Nordine Taleb, Elizeu Zaleski, Francisco Trinaldo
Misc.: Salikhov’s five-fight winning streak is a long way in the rearview mirror. He’s dropped three of four, though the one win, over Andre Fialho, was good for a $50,000 post-fight bonus.
UFC debut: Fatima Kline
Fatima Kline
Record: 6-0
Opponent: Jasmine Jasudavicius (10-3 MMA, 4-2 UFC)
Division: Women’s flyweight
Misc.: Beat Andressa Romero to win CFFC’s women’s flyweight title in February. Was set to fight on DWCS in September, but was plucked as a late replacement for Viviane Araujo.
UFC on ESPN 59 main card betting odds
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 16: (R-L) Ange Loosa of the Congo punches Bryan Battle in their welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on March 16, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
MAIN CARD (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET)
- Rose Namajunas (-225) vs. Tracy Cortez (+185)
- Santiago Ponzinibbio (-200) vs. Muslim Salikhov (+170)
- Drew Dober (-110) vs. Jean Silva (-110)
- Gabriel Bonfim (-400) vs. Ange Loosa (+300)
- Julian Erosa (+185) vs. Christian Rodriguez (-225)
- Abdul Razak Alhassan (-155) vs. Cody Brundage (+130)
UFC on ESPN 59 prelim betting odds
Mariya Agapova
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
- Charles Johnson (+160) vs. Joshua Van (-190)
- Fatima Kline (-130) vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius (+110)
- Da’Mon Blackshear (+120) vs. Montel Jackson (-140)
- Mariya Agapova (+300) vs. Luana Santos (-380)
- Josh Fremd (-110) vs. Andre Petroski (-110)
- Evan Elder (-425) vs. Darrius Flowers (+330)
