On Saturday night during the UFC 208 broadcast, the UFC’s return to Kansas City was announced for April 15. An intriguing strawweight co-main event between ‘The Karate Hottie’ Michelle Waterson and Rose Namajunas was first announced. Later in the night, the event got its headliner. And it features featherweight sluggers Doo Ho Choi and Renan Barão.
The fight bout was announced via the Sprint Center website, which is the venue this event will be held at.
Doo Ho Choi vs. Renan Barão
Choi (14-2) came into the UFC being hyped as a heavy-hitter, showcasing that in his first two fights. Knocking out Juan Puig in under 20 seconds before stopping TUF veteran Sam Sicilia in just over 90 seconds. Afterward, he was given a huge step up, as he faced veteran lightweight & featherweight Thiago Tavares. Again, Choi needed under one round. This past December in Toronto he fought one of the best featherweights on planet earth; Cub Swanson. The two brawled it out for 15 minutes in one of the best fights in promotional history. Choi lost that night, but his stock went nowhere but up.
Barão (34-4, 1NC) is a former bantamweight champion who moved up to featherweight after getting a championship rematch with TJ Dillashaw and losing to him yet again in 2015. He lost his featherweight debut last year in a Fight of the Night effort against former lightweight Jeremy Stephens. Barão successfully rebounded a few months later against TUF veteran Phillipe Nover.
UFC on FOX 24 (UFC Kansas City) is set to take place on April 15 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri. The main event sees featherweights Choi and Barão do battle, while the co-main event sees Waterson and Namajunas compete to see who moves one step closer to a title shot.
Other fights announced for the card include: Tim Elliot vs. Louis Smolka, Devin Clark vs. Jake Collier, Anthony Smith vs. Andrew Sanchez. A rumored match-up for the event also pits Gilbert Melendez against Jeremy Stephens, but that fight has not been confirmed.
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