The UFC has been absent since early March amid the current global coronavirus pandemic, but that’ll change this weekend. Originally scheduled to take place on April 18, UFC 249 will emanate live on Saturday night from Jacksonville, Florida as the promotion has done everything in its power to return. As one would anticipate with the return of MMA to the forefront of the sports world, the UFC 249 fight card is a loaded one as two major title bouts are headlining on the marquee.
Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje will headline this event in front of an empty VyStar Memorial Arena with the interim lightweight title on the line. Ferguson was originally scheduled to take on full champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, but “The Eagle” returned to Russia amid the pandemic and is unable to travel back to the U.S.
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In the co-main event, bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo will battle former strapholder Dominick Cruz. It will be Cruz’s first action inside the Octagon in four years after losing his title to Cody Garbrandt in 2016. This will also be Cejudo’s first defense of the belt after he was originally scheduled to take on Jose Aldo at UFC 250 in Brazil. Aldo is unable to leave his home country for the bout.
There were rumors that a third title fight could be on the way for this loaded card as two-division champ Amanda Nunes and Felicia Spencer “verbally agreed” to a title bout at 145 pounds, according to reports. However, in an interview with CBS Sports last week, Nunes said she wouldn’t be fighting and that she wanted a full training camp to prepare for Spencer. “The Lioness” has yet to defend her 145-pound title since capturing it over Cris Cyborg in December 2018.
In addition to two title fights, UFC loaded up this card with all-action stars, most notably heavyweight contenders Francis Ngannou and Jair Rozenstruik. Both come into this bout off of impressive knockout stretches and looking to get into the title conversation. Plus, fan favorites Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone and Anthony Pettis throw down in a rematch seven years in the making.
The action all goes down on Saturday, May 9 and will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view for the price of $64.99 for subscribers. The card as it currently stands is as follows:
UFC 249 fight card
- Tony Ferguson -190 vs. Justin Gaethje +160 — Interim lightweight title
- Henry Cejudo (c) -220 vs. Dominick Cruz +180 — bantamweight title
- Francis Ngannou -280 vs. Jair Rozenstruik +230 — Heavyweights
- Calvin Kattar -240 vs. Jeremy Stephens +200 — Featherweights
- Greg Hardy -195 vs. Yorgan De Castro +165 — Heavyweights
- Anthony Pettis -150 vs. Donald Cerrone +125 — Welterweights
- Vicente Luque -280 vs. Niko Price +230 — Welterweights
- Fabricio Werdum -330 vs. Aleksei Oleinik +260 — Heavyweights
- Ronaldo Souza -125 vs. Uriah Hall +105 — Middleweights
- Carla Esparza -160 vs. Michelle Waterson +140 — Women’s strawweights
- Bryce Mitchell -165 vs. Charles Rosa +155 — Featherweights
- Ryan Spann -420 vs. Sam Alvey +330 — Light heavyweights
UFC 249 countdown
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