A lack of live televised sport really does make your average fan twiddle their thumbs in anticipation for something to get those competitive juices flowing. And after a tumultuous lead-up and negotiations with governing bodies and investors, the President of the UFC Dana White finally has a card ready to go – and it’s truly one worth shouting about!
Check our preview for the 3 most intriguing fights below:
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje
This title fight for the Interim Lightweight Championship has presented itself after numerous cancelled attempts at booking Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov. This time Nurmagomedov’s inability to travel from Russia due to flight restrictions has presented Gaethje with an opportunity to solidify his name as not only one of the most entertaining and dangerous fighters on the planet but also a pound for pound leader.
Ferguson is on a 12 fight win streak and Gaethje who repeatedly receives fight bonuses for his all action style has won his last 3 fights. The unorthodox and unpredictability of Ferguson coupled with the power presented by Gaethje leaves almost no doubt that we’ll be talking about this fight long after. The hope is that whatever the result, we still get to see the highly anticipated match-up between Ferguson and Nurmagomedov before it’s too late.
Prediction:
The experience and awkwardness should give Ferguson the advantage in this fight. Gaethje throws heavy handed bombs so Ferguson should ensure a safe range is kept. We anticipate Ferguson closing the distance and using his ever so effective elbows to slow Gaethje down and gain the stoppage.
Henry Cejudo (C) vs. Dominick Cruz
There is real sense of bad blood here with Cejudo and Cruz continuing to bicker despite their limited opportunities in the scaled back lead up to the fight. Cejudo – who won a Gold medal for wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – moved up to Bantamweight after cleaning house in the Flyweight division. He was offered the chance to become a double champion and hold both titles at UFC 238 against Marlon Moraes, which he did with a Performance of the Night victory after the referee called a stop towards the end of the third round due to strikes.
His opponent though is a consensus Bantamweight legend, Dominick Cruz dominated the division with his elusive style, footwork and high fight-IQ only to suffer terrible setbacks with multiple long-term injuries. But, for the former champion ring-rust isn’t real and Cruz has proved before that he can perform at the highest level, even after a long lay-off – this time he will be returning after 3 years.
Prediction:
A really tough fight to call, Cejudo has been going from strength to strength and has shown that he has the capabilities to be successful at Bantamweight. He has never faced a conundrum like Cruz however, the angles, footwork, speed and intelligence should mean a decision victory for Cruz despite being the bookies underdog.
Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
This heavyweight bout pits the hardest puncher in MMA Francis Ngannou against the highly regarded Kickboxing expert, the sensationally named Jairzinho Rozenstruik who currently holds an undefeated record at 10-0. More often than not the ferocity of Ngannou’s punches is enough to put the lights out for most fighters but he ended up losing in his only title challenge against the champion Stipe Miocic as well as the follow up in a dull affair against Derrick Lewis. Since then though he has put together three first-round victories and shown he’s reaching the levels fight fans had previously been excited about.
Rozenstruik is coming off a sensational knockout victory against Alistair Overeem (something they both boast) and will look to shoot up the rankings in another test against one of the divisions best and most feared combatants.
Prediction:
The newtons force of either of these fighters connecting flush is enough to rip the soul out of one’s body. Whomever is able to land with more success in the early two rounds will gain the victory – we’re looking for an upset here with an early Rozenstruik TKO.
With the spotlight on how the UFC will ensure all those involved are protected, the organisation have gone a long way to mitigate the risk for the fighters their small camps and the crew involved in staging the event, including comprehensive testing. If there is one thing that’s evident when hearing from the fighters is that they are chomping at the bit to get into the octagon and do what they do best.
UFC 249 presents us with some great headliners but CRISP. are also looking forward to the rest of the stacked card which will provide a lot more of that much-needed entertainment with the prelim card also featuring the likes of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis, Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson, and Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza.
Whether you’re an MMA fan or not, if you have a hankering for some action, you’re left with little option this weekend but to tune into the card being shown live on BT Sport on 9th May.
Also, check out UFC’s Countdown series and Embedded series on YouTube to catch up with UFC 249 and the fighters.
How to watch UFC 249
UFC 249 will be shown live on BT Sport 1 from 1 am (GMT) in the early hours of Sunday 10th May.
There will not be an additional PPV charge for this event in the UK.
When does UFC 249 Start in the UK
The event will be coming live from Jacksonville, FL and will be behind closed doors with no crowd or fan participation. TV coverage of the UFC 249 main card will start at 3 am (GMT) in the early hours of Sunday 10th May.
The preliminary card will be broadcast from 1 am (GMT).
