ANALYSIS
Magny recently had his three-fight winning streak come to an end with a loss to Michael Chiesa at UFC Fight Island 8 back in January. He and Neal were initially set to face off August of 2020, but at that time a health scare forced Magny's opponent to withdraw from the event.

ANALYSIS
Magny is well-suited for five-round standup fights, but it's wrestlers who have historically given him trouble. That was the case in Round 1, as Chiesa used a body lock to record a takedown and finished the frame in top position. Round 2 was more of the same, with Chiesa recording two takedowns before the midway point. Magny spent the rest of the round on his back and ate a few elbows, so he was likely down 0-2 heading into Round 3. He came out firing in that frame, but the two were in the clinch again before too much time had passed. It was Magny who got the takedown this time, however, and he even spent some time on Chiesa's back before the two were back in the clinch. Chiesa did turn the tide, however, getting another takedown that briefly earned him full mount, and he ended up finishing the round on top. Still, it was the best frame so far for Magny. In the fourth round, Magny ate a big right hand and was on his back again before long. After several impressive transitions that saw Magny escape compromising positions, he was back to his feet and landed a knee. He briefly tried to lock in a triangle, but Chiesa was too slick and once again ended the round in an advantageous position. Entering the fifth round in need of a finish, Magny didn't have an answer for Chiesa on the feet early, and the two were back in the clinch before long. Magny was on his back yet again by the midway point. He simply spent too much time playing Chiesa's game and conceded way too much ground control time to truly show the judges anything. He remains a well-conditioned and impressive striker, but Magny has some grappling work to do before being able to contend with the division's elite.

ANALYSIS
Both fighters are riding three-match winning streaks. Chiesa's most recent fight was a unanimous decision victory over Rafael dos Anjos in January. Magny has fought three times since then, most recently securing a unanimous decision win against Robbie Lawler in August. As of early-January, Magny is a slight favorite of (-125) for the main-event matchup -- this fight was bumped to the main event after a previously-scheduled matchup between Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev was called off.

ANALYSIS
It was a flawless performance from Magny. In this case, the numbers tell the entire story. Magny finished with a remarkable 121-17 edge in total strikes landed, in addition to scoring four successful takedowns and racking up more than a round's worth (5:33) of control time. Lawler is clearly on the back-nine of his career, but that doesn't impact Magny's performance in the least. Neil's UFC run has been remarkable. He still doesn't get the credit he deserves considering he is 5-1 in his past six bouts. It's a stretch to think Magny can compete with the best welterweights in the world, but he is firmly in that second tier of fighters. Magny is in position for another "name" opponent his next time out.

ANALYSIS
Magny was initially set to face Geoff Neal at the end of August, but Neal recently suffered a health scare that forced him to withdraw from the event. Lawler had already been searching for an opponent for the Aug. 29 event, so he'll step in to take Neal's place. Lawler is coming off two consecutive losses, most recently suffering a defeat to Colby Covington via unanimous decision in August 2019. Magny carries advantages in height and reach.