UFC on ESPN 66: Chris Gutierrez vs John Castaneda Set to Deliver Thrilling Featherweight Encounter
The upcoming UFC on ESPN 66 event, scheduled to take place at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, promises to be an electrifying experience for fight fans. One of the most highly anticipated bouts on the preliminary card is the featherweight clash between seasoned UFC veterans Chris Gutierrez and John Castaneda.
According to information obtained from The Stats Zone, the event is set to commence on Saturday, April 26, 2025, with the preliminary card starting at 11:00 pm UK time, followed by the main card at 2:00 am on Sunday. In the United States, the event will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Fight Details and Schedule
The bout between Chris Gutierrez and John Castaneda is scheduled to take place at 00:55 am UK time, 7:55 pm US ET, and 4:55 pm US PT. The event will be broadcast on TNT Sports in the UK and ESPN+ in the United States. Fans can also stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ in the UK, or ESPN+ and UFC Fight Pass in the US.
UFC on ESPN 66 Card
The main card for UFC on ESPN 66 features an exciting lineup of fights, including:
- Ian Machado Garry vs Carlos Prates (Welterweight)
- Anthony Smith vs Zhang Mingyang (Light Heavyweight)
- Giga Chikadze vs David Onama (Featherweight)
- Michel Pereira vs Abusupiyan Magomedov (Middleweight)
- Randy Brown vs Nicolas Dalby (Welterweight)
- Ikram Aliskerov vs Andre Muniz (Middleweight)
The preliminary card, which includes the Gutierrez vs Castaneda bout, features:
- Matt Schnell vs Jimmy Flick (Flyweight)
- Evan Elder vs Gauge Young (Lightweight)
- Da’Mon Blackshear vs Alateng Heili (Bantamweight)
- Malcolm Wellmaker vs Cameron Saaiman (Bantamweight)
- Jaqueline Amorim vs Polyana Viana (Women’s Strawweight)
- Timothy Cuamba vs Roberto Romero (Featherweight)
- Chelsea Chandler vs Joselyne Edwards (Women’s Bantamweight)
Chris Gutierrez vs John Castaneda: A Closely Contested Bout
As reported by The Stats Zone, Chris Gutierrez (21-6) is coming off a solid unanimous decision win over Quang Le in August. He will be looking to win back-to-back fights for the first time since 2022. Gutierrez’s opponent, John Castaneda (21-7), has had a disrupted time of it, with a couple of bouts being cancelled due to various reasons. Castaneda lost a decision to Daniel Marcos last June but will be eager to bounce back.
The duo have had similar career paths, building impressive resumes outside of the UFC and then coming in and reaching a similar level. As noted by The Stats Zone, "neither have shown the quality to trouble elite fighters but both are incredibly solid pros who can be proud of the careers they have put together." This makes the fight a tough one to call, with both fighters being evenly matched in the betting.
Prediction
Both fighters are incredibly durable with solid chins, making it hard to see the fight ending anywhere other than on the scorecards. The Stats Zone has a marginal preference for Gutierrez, citing his recent bouts against quality opponents like Song Yadong and Pedro Munhoz. However, the publication notes that "it really is a pick’em fight." The predicted outcome is that the fight will go the distance.
In conclusion, the upcoming UFC on ESPN 66 event promises to deliver an exciting and closely contested featherweight encounter between Chris Gutierrez and John Castaneda. With both fighters being evenly matched and possessing solid skills, this bout is set to be an unmissable event for fight fans.
