Looking at the UFC 249 betting odds as Tony Ferguson battles Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title in the main event.
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UFC 249 is set to take place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Below, we look at BetMGM‘s betting odds for the entire UFC 249 fight card, including the two championship bouts between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje and Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz.
The UFC 249 pay-per-view is available via stream on ESPN+ with the main card getting underway at 10 p.m. ET. The main event between Ferguson and Gaethje for the interim lightweight title should start around midnight ET.
UFC 249 had initially been scheduled for Saturday, April 18, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UFC 249 betting odds: Main card
Oct 6, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Tony Ferguson (red gloves) celebrates after beating Anthony Pettis (blue gloves) during UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena. (Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – USA TODAY Sports)
Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. All lines last updated Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. ET.
Tony Ferguson (-175) vs. Justin Gaethje (+145)
Lightweight interim title bout. No. 1 contender vs. No. 4.
Henry Cejudo (-223) vs. Dominick Cruz (+180)
Bantamweight title bout. Champion vs. unranked, but former two-time champ.
Francis Ngannou (-278) vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (+225)
Heavyweight bout. No. 2 contender vs. No. 6.
Jeremy Stephens (+200) vs. Calvin Kattar (-250)
Featherweight bout. No. 7 contender vs. No. 9.
Greg Hardy (-200) vs. Yorgan De Castro (+165)
Heavyweight bout. Both unranked.
Want to place a bet on UFC 249? Place bets at BetMGM. New customer offer: Risk-free first bet! Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions. Bet now!
UFC 249 betting odds: Prelims
January 18, 2020; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Donald Cerrone is introduced before fighting Conor McGregor during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. (Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas – USA TODAY Sports)
Anthony Pettis (-143) vs. Donald Cerrone (+120)
Welterweight bout. No. 15 contender vs. No. 6.
Aleksei Oleinik (+260) vs. Fabricio Werdum (-333)
Heavyweight bout. No. 12 contender vs. unranked.
Carla Esparza (-159) vs. Michelle Waterson (+130)
Women’s strawweight bout. No. 7 contender vs. No. 8.
Uriah Hall (+105) vs. Ronaldo Souza (-125)
Middleweight bout. No. 10 contender vs. No. 14.
UFC 249 betting odds: Early prelims
Oct 12, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; Niko Price (red gloves) celebrates after defeating James Vick (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Amalie Arena. (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)
Vicente Luque (-303) vs. Niko Price (+240)
Welterweight bout. No. 13 vs. unranked.
Bryce Mitchell (-159) vs. Charles Rosa (+130)
Featherweight bout. Both unranked.
Ryan Spann (-417) vs. Sam Alvey (+325)
Light heavyweight bout. Both unranked.
Also see:
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje odds, picks and best bets
Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz odds, picks and best bets
Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik odds, picks and best bets
Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar odds, picks and best bets
Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro odds, picks and best bets
How/Where can I watch Ferguson vs. Gaethje?
Ferguson and Gaethje, along with the rest of UFC 249, will be available on Pay-Per-View on ESPN+ streaming service. Sign up for ESPN+ now.
Get some action on UFC 249 by placing a legal sports bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
The best facts and figures about UFC 249, which features a Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje interim lightweight title main event.
After a nearly two-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC returns to action Saturday with UFC 249, which takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
A championship doubleheader sits atop the card. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) meets [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) for interim lightweight gold in the main event, while [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) puts his bantamweight belt up for grabs against [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] (22-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in the co-headliner.
One of the deepest cards in recent memory has much more to offer than just the title fights, though. For more on the numbers, check below for 65 pre-event facts about the UFC 249 main card.
* * * *
Main event
Tony Ferguson
Ferguson can become the first two-time interim champion in UFC history.
Ferguson is 18-1 in his past 19 fights. The lone defeat in that stretch came to Michael Johnson at UFC on FOX 3 in May 2012.
Ferguson’s 15-1 record after 15 UFC appearances is the best of any fighter to come from “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.
Ferguson’s 12-fight UFC winning streak in lightweight competition is the longest in active streak in the division.
Ferguson’s 12-fight UFC winning streak in lightweight competition is the longest in divisional history.
Ferguson’s 12-fight winning streak in UFC competition is tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the longest active streak in the company.
Ferguson has earned 21 of his 25 career victories by stoppage. That includes 11 of his 15 UFC wins.
Ferguson’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC lightweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Joe Lauzon (13) and Jim Miller (12).
Ferguson’s three D’Arce-choke victories in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Ferguson is one of two fighters in UFC history to win a title fight by triangle choke. He did so against Kevin Lee at UFC 216. Anderson Silva also accomplished the feat against Chael Sonnen at UFC 117.
Ferguson has been awarded a fight-night bonus in seven of his past eight UFC appearances.
Justin Gaethje
Gaethje, the former WSOF lightweight champion, can become the first in history to win titles in WSOF and UFC.
Gaethje has earned 19 of his 21 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all four of his UFC wins by knockout.
Gaethje is the only fighter in UFC history to land 100 or more significant strikes in each of his first three promotional appearances.
Gaethje lands 8.57 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.
Gaethje lands 2.9 leg kicks per minute in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.
Gaethje lands 55.6 percent of significant strike attempts in UFC lightweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.
Gaethje is the only fighter in UFC history to win at least one fight-night bonus in each of his first six octagon appearances.
Gaethje has been awarded seven fight-night bonuses in six UFC appearances.
Gaethje’s seven UFC fight-night bonuses since 2017 are most of any fighter in the company.
Co-main event
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Cejudo is the only MMA fighter to win an Olympic gold medal and a UFC championship.
Cejudo is one of three Olympic gold medalists to fight in the UFC, along with Kevin Jackson and Mark Schultz. He earned gold in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 summer Olympics.
Cejudo is the only Olympic gold medalist to fight in the UFC since the organization was purchased by parent company Zuffa
Cejudo is one of seven fighters in UFC history to win titles in two weight classes. B.J. Penn, Conor McGregor, Amanda Nunes, Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre and Randy Couture also accomplished the feat.
Cejudo is one of four simultaneous two-division champions in UFC history. McGregor, Nunes and Cormier also accomplished the feat.
Cejudo is one of two flyweight champions in UFC history. Demetrious Johnson was the other.
Cejudo is 6-0 in his career when competing in bantamweight bouts.
Cejudo has landed at least one takedown in all but one of his UFC fights where he’s attempted a takedown.
Dominick Cruz
Cruz returns to competition for the first time since Dec. 30, 2016. The 1,226-day layoff is the longest of his more than 15-year career.
Cruz is one of 10 fighters in UFC history to have two or more title reigns in one weight class. St-Pierre, Couture, Tim Sylvia, Cain Velasquez, Stipe Miocic, Jon Jones, Matt Hughes, Jose Aldo and T.J. Dillashaw also accomplished the feat.
Cruz can become the second in UFC history to have three title reigns in one weight class. Couture also accomplished the feat.
Cruz became the second fighter in UFC history to win a belt by split decision when he defeated T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Fight Night 81. Robbie Lawler also accomplished the feat against Johny Hendricks at UFC 181.
Cruz’s 12 victories in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are tied with Dillashaw and Urijah Faber for most in combined divisional history.
Cruz has earned four of his five UFC victories by decision. He has earned 14 of his 22 career wins overall by going the distance.
Cruz’s average fight time of 21:00 in UFC competition is the longest in company history.
Cruz landed 243 total strikes in his WEC 53 victory over Scott Jorgensen, the single-fight record for a UFC/WEC bantamweight bout.
Cruz defends 70.9 percent of all significant strike attempts in UFC bantamweight competition, the second-highest rate in divisional history behind Vaughan Lee (71.5 percent).
Cruz’s 50 takedowns landed in UFC/WEC bantamweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.
Featured bout
Francis Ngannou
[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag]’s (14-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak in heavyweight competition is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Jairzinho Rozenstruik (four).
Ngannou has earned all 14 of his career victories by stoppage.
Ngannou has earned his past three victories by knockout in a combined 2:22 of cage time.
Ngannou’s nine stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC competition are tied for third most in the company behind Thiago Santos (10) and Charles Oliveira (10).
Ngannou’s nine stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC heavyweight competition are most in the division.
Ngannou is one of seven fighters in UFC history to earn their first nine victories with the promotion by stoppage. Vitor Belfort, Don Frye, Gabriel Gonzaga, Royce Gracie, Joe Lauzon and Vicente Luque also accomplished the feat.
Ngannou is one of four modern-era UFC fighters to begin his career with the organization with stoppages in six consecutive fights. Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin and Ronda Rousey also accomplished the feat.
Ngannou absorbs just 1.97 significant strikes per minute in UFC heavyweight competition, the second best rate among active fighters in the division behind Curtis Blaydes (1.86).
Ngannou and Derrick Lewis combined for 31 total strikes landed at UFC 226, the second fewest in a three-round UFC fight that went the distance behind Jens Pulver vs. Joao Roque (23) at UFC 26 in June 2000.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik
[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]’s (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Rozenstruik has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.
Rozenstruik’s four-fight knockout streak in UFC competition is the longest active streak in the company.
Rozenstruik’s nine-second knockout at UFC on ESPN+ 12 is the second fastest in UFC heavyweight history behind Todd Duffee’s seven-second finish at UFC 102.
Rozenstruik’s knockout of Alistair Overeem at the 4:56 mark of Round 5 at UFC on ESPN 7 marked the third latest stoppage in UFC history behind Demetrious Johnson’s win (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC 186 and Yair Rodriguez’s victory (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC Fight Night 139.
Remaining main card
Jeremy Stephens
[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] (28-17 MMA, 15-16 UFC) competes in his 33rd UFC bout, the third most appearances in company history behind Donald Cerrone (35) and Jim Miller (34).
Stephens is 8-8 (with one no contest) since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in May 2013.
Stephens’ 18 knockdowns landed in UFC competition are tied with Anderson Silva for second most in company history behind Cerrone (20).
Stephen’ 11 knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.
Stephens’ five knockdowns landed at UFC 215 are tied for the single-fight UFC record set by Forrest Petz vs. Sam Morgan at UFC Fight Night 6 in 2006.
Stephens’ 16 losses in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Stephens’ 12 decision losses in UFC competition are most in company history.
Stephens earned the first head-kick knockout in UFC featherweight history when he stopped Rony Jason at UFC Fight Night 32 in November 2013.
Stephens vs. Yair Rodriguez at UFC on ESPN+ 17, which ended in 15 seconds, marked the second fastest no contest in UFC history behind the 11-second ending between Antonio Carlos Junior and Kevin Casey at UFC Fight Night 80 in December 2015.
Greg Hardy
[autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] (5-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was the only fighter to make five UFC appearances in 2019, including a no-contest.
Hardy is the only heavyweight in UFC history to fight five times in a calendar year. He’s one of 10 overall instances of a fighter appearing five times in a modern era calendar year.
[autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) became the first fighter from Cape Verde to earn a UFC victory when he won his debut at UFC 243.
De Castro has earned five of his six career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.
De Castro is the only fighter in Dana White’s Contender Series history to earn a knockout stemming from leg kicks.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
All of the details you need around Saturday’s UFC 249 fight card, featuring Ferguson-Gaethje and Cruz-Cejudo, including how to watch.
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UFC 249 will finally take place this Saturday at 10 p.m. ET at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The pay-per-view event will stream in HD on ESPN+, and will feature two championship title bouts as Tony Ferguson takes on Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. Henry Cejudo battles Dominick Cruz for the bantamweight crown.
UFC 249 was originally scheduled to take place Saturday, April 18 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
UFC 249 fight card
All odds via BetMGM Sportsbook; last updated Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. ET.
Tony ‘El Cucuy’ Ferguson vs. Justin ‘The Highlight’ Gaethje
Oct 6, 2018; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Tony Ferguson (red gloves) fights Anthony Pettis (blue gloves) during UFC 229 at T-Mobile Arena. (Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – USA TODAY Sports)
Ferguson is the No. 1 contender in the lightweight division and will get his shot at the interim title against the third-ranked Gaethje. Ferguson (-175) is a sizable favorite over Gaethje (+145) with a record of 26-3, while his opponent enters at 21-2. Both fighters stand 5-foot-11, but Ferguson holds a reach advantage of 76.5″ to 70″ for Gaethje.
Henry ‘The Messenger’ Cejudo vs. Dominick ‘The Dominator’ Cruz
Jun 8, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Henry Cejudo (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Marlon Moraes (blue gloves) during UFC 238 at United Center. (Photo Credit: Jerry Lai – USA TODAY Sports)
Cejudo enters UFC 249 on a five-fight win streak, including his June 8, 2019 fight against Marlon Moraes, in which he claimed the bantamweight title with a TKO win. At -223, he’s a heavy betting favorite over Cruz (+180), who suffered his first loss his last time out against Cody Garbrandt to drop to 18-1 for his UFC career.
Want to place a bet on UFC 249? Place them at BetMGM. New customer offer: Risk-free first bet!Visit BetMGM for terms and conditions.Bet now!
Francis ‘The Predator’ Ngannou vs. Jairzinho ‘Bigi Boy’ Rozenstruik
Jun 29, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Francis Ngannou (red gloves) reacts after beating Junior Dos Santos (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Target Center. (Photo Credit: David Berding – USA TODAY Sports)
Ngannou (-278) is the biggest favorite on UFC 249’s main card. The Cameroonian enters at 13-3 and is the No. 2 contender in the heavyweight division. Rozenstruik (+225) is 10-0 for his career and enters as the No. 6 contender in the division. All but one of his wins has been via knockout.
Jeremy ‘Lil’ Heathen’ Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar
Oct 18, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; Jeremy Stephens walks to his corner in between rounds of a fight against Yair Rodriguez (not seen) in a featherweight bout during UFC Fight Night at the TD Garden. (Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara – USA TODAY Sports)
The veteran Stephens enters with a 28-17 record and one no contest. He’s a +200 underdog vs. the 20-4 Kattar (-250). Stephens and Kattar rank seventh and ninth, respectively, in the featherweight division.
Greg ‘Prince of War’ Hardy vs. Yorgan ‘The Mad Titan’ De Castro
Oct 18, 2019; Boston, MA, USA; Greg Hardy (red) reacts before a fight with Ben Sosoli (blue) in a heavyweight bout during UFC Fight Night at the TD Garden. (Photo Credit: Bob DeChiara – USA TODAY Sports)
Hardy (-200) is 5-1 with a no-contest in his career and battles the 5-0 De Castro (+165) in the first heavyweight bout of the main card. Hardy holds significant advantages in height (6-foot-5 to 6-foot-1), weight (265 pounds vs. 250 pounds) and reach (80″ to 74″).
When is UFC 249?
UFC 249 is scheduled for Saturday, May 9, at 10 p.m. ET. The main event should begin around midnight ET.
Where is UFC 249?
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.
How/Where can I watch UFC 249?
Catch the entire UFC 249 fight card, including the Ferguson vs. Gaethje and Cejudo vs. Cruz title fights, on pay-per-view on ESPN+ streaming service. Sign up for ESPN+ now and don’t miss any of the action.
Where can I bet on UFC 249?
Get some action on UFC 249 by placing a legal sports bet at BetMGM.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Identifying the most significant storyline for each UFC 249 main card matchup.
Every UFC fight has a storyline to it. The general public might not always be deeply invested, but whether it’s for a championship or marks a debut, each fight represents a pivotal moment for the athletes.
With every trip to the octagon comes a narrative. What does a win mean in the short term? The long term? What fights are on the horizon with an impressive performance? What new skills or weaknesses will be revealed?
The potential storylines are endless, and we’re here to help identify the most significant one for each fight, this time at UFC 249, which takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Today, we look at the main card on ESPN+.
****
The title fights
[autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag]
Credit to Ferguson and Gaethje for staying committed and making the interim lightweight title fight happen. On paper, this fight can’t fail in terms of what these guys bring to the table. The winner is likely going to have to go through hell to get their hand raised, but there will be a level of disappointment if that winner isn’t Ferguson.
Everyone wants to see Ferguson finally fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed 155-pound belt after five failed bookings. This headliner is a serious threat to the preservation of that matchup, and Gaethje can absolutely run that fight off the rails, possibly forever.
It has taken a 12-fight winning streak over eight years for Ferguson to get to this point, and at 36, there’s no guarantee he gets back with a loss. Ferguson deserves tremendous praise for not bowing out when Nurmagomedov was unavailable for UFC 249, but that decision could be something he regrets for the rest of his life. The stakes are incredibly high for “El Cucuy,” and winning has never been more important than it is now.
[autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag]
As fascinating as it will be to see if Cejudo can back up 11 months worth of trash talk since winning the bantamweight title, the spotlight going into the co-main event matchup is rightfully on Cruz and his opportunity to do something truly unprecedented.
After Jose Aldo was deemed unavailable due to coronavirus travel restrictions, Cruz got the title shot against Cejudo despite being sidelined by injury since December 2016. We’re past debating the merits of this situation, because it’s happening, and it’s now time to focus on whether Cruz can win, and what it would mean if he does.
Cruz has already come back from a multi-year layoff once before to win back the UFC’s 135-pound belt. That’s history at this point, though, because he’s now older, more physically run down and is fighting an opponent in Cejudo who, despite his character, is no joke whatsoever.
The fact Cruz will even be stepping in the octagon at all on Saturday is remarkable. If he can leave the cage with a belt around his waist, the conversation about where “The Dominator” fits into MMA’s web of all-time greats becomes a curious debate.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 249 event in Jacksonville, Fla.
We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 249 event in Jacksonville, Fla.
Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).
Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC 249 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 249 takes place Saturday at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:
In the latest edition of Triple Take, we dive into the fights below the title bouts at UFC 249. There are some great ones, but what’s the best?
The UFC returns May 9 for the first of three events in a one-week stretch in Jacksonville, Fla. There are two title fights atop the bill. But below those championship bouts are some great other matchups.
So which one of those fights is the most appealing? MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Nolan King and Danny Segura give their opinions in the latest edition of Triple Take.
* * * *
Farah Hannoun: Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Francis Ngannou
There is no doubt that this is the No. 1 contender fight at heavyweight, and the stakes are very high.
[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] has been chomping at the bit to get another crack at the title, having knocked out his last three opponents in the first round. He’s had a tough time finding opponents, but undefeated prospect [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] has stepped up.
Rozenstruik is coming off an incredible comeback win over Alistair Overeem and finds himself with a massive opportunity to knock off the top-ranked Ngannou and leapfrog the rest of the division for a title shot.
With nearly a 100 percent finish rate between them, it’s likely that one of them will go down in a matchup that pits two of the hardest hitters in the division.
The trilogy bout between champion Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier is yet to be booked, prompting both Ngannou and Rozenstruik to request that their fight be for the interim title. But the UFC was not on board.
Either way, the next title challenger will most definitely emerge from this fight.
Next page – Nolan King: Calvin Kattar vs. Jeremy Stephens
The UFC has released a new promo in anticipation of its May 9 return.
The UFC has released a new promo in anticipation of its May 9 return.
Monday, the promotion posted the 30-second UFC 249 hype video with the caption “We’re Back” on various social media platforms. The promo features a handful of the card’s participants including headliners [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag], as well as the night’s co-main event participants, UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] and former UFC bantamweight champion [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag].
Also featured in the video are heavyweights [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag], featherweights [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] and [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag], heavyweights [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag] and [autotag]Yorgan De Casto[/autotag], and welterweights [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] and [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag].
UFC 249 takes place May 9 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. The main card is expected to stream on pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.
Check out the new UFC 249 promo video in the tweet embedded below:
The UFC is eying a May 9 return, with an event at a location to be determined, but a blockbuster lineup in mind.
The UFC may be back sooner than anticipated.
When UFC president Dana White canceled UFC 249, he also postponed all subsequent events indefinitely due to restrictions caused by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, as well as a request to stand down by the UFC’s broadcast partners at ESPN and Disney. However, the promotion is now eying a May 9 return, with an event at a location to be determined.
Tuesday, MMA Junkie confirmed the UFC’s considered plans with a person with knowledge of the situation. The person asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. MMA Fighting was the first to report the plans.
Dana White later informed ESPN the promotion is looking to rebook various big fights that were delayed by the schedule change, including [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] (originally set to headline UFC 249), [autotag]Henry Cejudo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] (originally in the works to headline UFC 250), [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Felicia Spencer[/autotag] (originally set to co-headline UFC 250), and [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (originally set to headline UFC on ESPN 8).
“We will be the first sport back,” White said. “‘Fight Island’ is real. It’s a real thing. The infrastructure is being built right now, and that’s really going to happen. It will be on ESPN.”
If the event isn’t scheduled for “Fight Island,” the state of Florida could be another potential location for the UFC to hold the May 9 card. In a press release issued Monday, Florida governor Ron DeSantis revealed some sporting events, including WWE, will be deemed essential businesses.
It’s unknown if Tachi Palace Casino in Lemore, Calif. could be in the cards, as well. The Indian reservation casino was targeted to be the new home of UFC 249 on April 18, prior to ESPN and Disney executives asking the UFC to cancel the event entirely.
[lawrence-related id=506483,505599,506277]
Prior to the announcement of postponements, the UFC had 11 events publicly on tap: UFC 249 (April 18 in Lemore, Calif.), UFC on ESPN+ 31 (April 25 in Lemore, Calif.), UFC on ESPN+ 32 (May 2 in Lemore, Calif.), UFC 250 (May 9 at Location TBD), UFC on ESPN+ 33 (May 16 in San Diego), UFC 251 (June 6 in Perth, Australia), UFC Kazakhstan (June 13 in Nur-Sultan, Kazakstan), UFC Saskatoon (June 20 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), UFC Austin (June 27 in Austin, Texas), UFC 252 (July 11 in Las Vegas), and UFC Dublin (Aug. 15 in Dublin, Ireland).
The status of all above events are currently unknown.
According to ESPN, the proposed May 9 event includes the following lineup:
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje – for interim lightweight title
Champ Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz – for bantamweight title
Champ Amanda Nunes vs. Felicia Spencer – for women’s featherweight title
Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
[autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag]
[autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Anthony Pettis[/autotag]
[autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]
[autotag]Aleksei Oleinik[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag]
[autotag]Uriah Hall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag]
[autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Niko Price[/autotag]
[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Charles Rosa[/autotag]
Before Jeremy Stephens faces Calvin Kattar at UFC 249, relive his second-round finish over Dooho Choi in 2018.
[autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag] has a well-earned reputation as a man who finishes fights in violent fashion, and the UFC’s latest free fight offering highlights “Lil’ Heathen” at his power-punching best.
Longtime UFC veteran Stephens (28-17 MMA, 15-16 UFC), has been in his fair share of barnburners and remains a serious threat to any man standing across from him on fight night. It was no different at UFC Fight Night 124 in January 2018 when he took on South Korea’s [autotag]Dooho Choi[/autotag], who was coming off a “Fight of the Year,” contender against Cub Swanson.
The two exchanged leg kicks early as they battled for control of the center of the octagon. Stephens charged forward with haymakers as Choi backed up to avoid the American’s power punches. Choi also enjoyed success on the counter, as he connected with some solid shots as Stephens continued to press forward.
In Round 2 both fighters came out wild, with both men loading up on their shots. Stephens started to find his range as he connected with some clean punches. Around the midway point of the round, he was able to back Choi to the fence, before unloading a big overhand right that dropped his man. A few brutal elbows followed on the ground, and eventually the referee stepped in to end the punishment.
Stephens has dropped his last three contests, but will be looking to put things right when he returns to action against hard-hitting featherweight contender Calvin Kattar at UFC 240 on Apr. 18.
Relive Stephens’ impressive finish of “The Korean Superboy” in the video above.
The newly-released promo for UFC 249 is here, featuring Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, Francis Ngannou, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and more.
The circumstances may be different, but the UFC’s promotional machine is back in full flow ahead of UFC 249 on Apr. 18.
With a full fight card, a location secured and even a title fight in the main event, the event is good to go, and the UFC’s newly-released promo says it’s their most stacked card of the year.
The event, which seemingly flies in the face of the rest of the sporting world, which remains under virtual lockdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, features a fight card packed with eye-catching matchups, headlined by the interim lightweight title battle between former interim champ [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] and ex-WSOF 155-pound king [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag].
As you’d expect, the promo for the event goes big on the Ferguson-Gaethje matchup, but also shines a light on three other big-ticket fights on the card. UFC president Dana White was the first to share it to the world via his Twitter account.
this is gonna be a FUN fight. Just a little over a week and we will be watchin a LIVE fight again!!! pic.twitter.com/DGJPbbod5F
The heavyweight clash between rival knockout artists [autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] and [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] gets second billing on the promo, followed by the other heavyweight bout on the card between heavy-handed prospects [autotag]Yorgan De Castro[/autotag] and [autotag]Greg Hardy[/autotag]. Also featured is the featherweight battle between hard-hitting 145ers [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] and [autotag]Jeremy Stephens[/autotag].
The promo boldly declares UFC 249 to be “the most stacked card of the year.” Given the bout list for the Apr. 18 event, it’s a fair claim.
UFC 249 takes place at an unconfirmed location (believed to be the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Leemore, Calif.) on Saturday, Apr. 18. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET following the preliminary card on ESPN2 from 8 p.m. ET.
UFC 249 bouts include (bout order TBC):
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje – for interim lightweight title
Jessica Andrade vs. TBA
Yorgan De Castro vs. Greg Hardy
Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price
Calvin Kattar vs. Jeremy Stephens
Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza
Alexander Hernandez vs. Omar Morales
Ray Borg vs. Marlon Vera
Michael Johnson vs. Khama Worthy
Sijara Eubanks vs. Sarah Moras
Sam Alvey vs. Ryan Spann
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