Michael Chiesa and Neil Magny burst into laughter during their final faceoff Tuesday.
But it will be no laughing matter Wednesday, when each welterweight looks to push his winning streak to four in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The co-main event will pit Warlley Alves against Mounir Lazzez in another welterweight tilt.
Chiesa (17-4) is coming off a hard-fought unanimous decision over Rafael dos Anjos in January 2020, while Magny (24-8) got his own unanimous decision nod against Robbie Lawler last August. Chiesa and Magny are also eighth and ninth, respectively, in the welterweight rankings, meaning a win Wednesday would inch the victor a bit closer to title shot consideration.
The card takes place four days after Max Holloway demolished Calvin Kattar in the same arena to launch the UFC's 2021 campaign. Here's everything you need to know about UFC Fight Night: Michael Chiesa vs. Neil Magny.
The card takes place on Wednesday, Jan. 20 with a main card start time of 12 p.m. EST/5 p.m. GMT. Main event cagewalks are anticipated around 2:30 p.m. EST/7:30 p.m. GMT, although that depends on how long the earlier bouts run.
In the U.S., the preliminary fights launch at 9 a.m. EST/2 p.m. GMT on ESPN. After those eight bouts, the main card, featuring six more fights, will also be televised on ESPN. Both the prelims and main card can be live streamed on ESPN+. British fight fans can also stream the card's action on BT Sport's website and app.
More details about how to watch in other countries can be found on UFC.com.
Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi will play host to Chiesa vs. Magny, just as it did for Max Holloway's destruction of Calvin Kattar this past Saturday. Yas Island is also known as "Fight Island" for its UFC cards and has been a go-to for the company since the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the world last year.