This weekend sees the latest big UFC meeting take place as some of the world’s finest MMA fighters do battle in UFC 249. While much of the focus in the UFC does tend to be given towards the towering giants in the heavyweight division, UFC 249 is showcasing the full range of fighters across the weight range with some of the best matches taking place in the lighter divisions.
In total 12 fights will take place, some on an initial free-to-air preliminary card, while the main event bouts will take place on pay-per-view. Despite the fact that two big names Jose Aldo and Khabib Nurmagomedov were forced to pull out of this event, Dana Whyte and his team have managed to put together some outstanding matchups across the evening and across the different weight divisions to make UFC 249 one of the stellar combat sports events of the year so far.
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Outlined below is the full list of contests that have been scheduled for Saturday’s UFC 249 event.
UFC 249 – Scheduled Bouts
- Charles Rosa (11/8) v Bryce Mitchell (8/13)
- Ryan Spann (2/9) v Sam Alvey (7/2)
- Vicente Luque (1/3) v Niko Price (12/5)
- Carla Esparza (5/8) v Michelle Waterson (13/10)
- Donald Cerrone (5/4) v Anthony Pettis (4/6)
- Fabricio Werdum (3/10) v Aleksei Oleinik (5/2)
- Uriah Hall (Evens) v Ronaldo Souza (4/5)
- Calvin Kattar (2/5) v Jeremy Stephens (2/1)
- Francis Ngannou (1/3) v Jairzinho Rozenstruijk (12/5)
- Greg Hardy (1/2) v Yorgan De Castro (17/10)
- Henry Cejudo (4/9) v Dominick Cruz (15/8)
- Tony Ferguson (4/7) v Justin Gaethje (6/4)
There’s no doubt that although the card is stacked with talent, it is the last fight on the list above featuring lightweights Tony Ferguson and the unbeaten Justin Gaethje that has whetted the appetite of MMA fans the most.
Tony Ferguson v Justin Gaethje – Who Wins?
It has been almost eight years since Tony Ferguson last tasted defeat inside the octagon and the bookmakers have the 36-year old lightweight as the favourite to clinch the interim lightweight title and earn himself another shot at the world title belt.
Standing in his way however is the impressive Justin Gaethje, who in his six bouts so far in the UFC has yet to taste defeat and who has been so spectacular that he has picked up four Fight of the Night awards out of those six contests, as well as a slew of other bonuses for his performances.
Ferguson may have the edge in terms of experience and in the quality of opponent that he has previously faced. He is also a former interim belt holder, having landed it previously with a submission win in the third round over Kevin Lee in UFC 216.
What makes this fight so exciting however is the respective styles of the fighter. Both are all-action, no-hold-barred attacking fighters. Both are rarely involved in a damp squib of a fight and both have the power and skill to cause serious problems to any fighter in the lightweight division. Ferguson just shades things in terms of experience and durability, but Gaethje will know that if he can defeat Ferguson here, he will move into prime position in the heavyweight division.
This is going to be an incredible fight and although I do feel Gaethje has a chance, I just think that Ferguson’s greater experience, durability and ring craft, not to mention his all-action style, will be the difference between the two men and lead to Ferguson landing the victory.
Henry Cejudo v Dominick Cruz – Who Wins?
The bookmakers already think that the talented Bantamweight Henry Cejudo should have this fight in the bag. Facing an opponent that has been out injured for a lengthy spell, who stepped in for Jose Aldo just a few weeks ago, the run up to the fight and all the pointer seem to suggest Cejudo should be in for a win.
However it will not be easy. Dominick Cruz is a very talented fighter, who is only not ranked in the top 10 due to the incessant injury issues that have plagued his career. In addition, he has twice before come back from lengthy injury spells out and recorded a comeback win, both times as the underdog, something that Cejudo would be well advised to be wary of.
In terms of talent both are well matched but Cejudo just has that freshness and extra hunger and I feel his greater action over the last 18 months will be the key here and see him land the win.
Francis Ngannou v Jairzinho Rozenstruijk – Who Wins?
When two big hitters in the heavyweight division clash, sometimes you can get a cagey contest. Experience shows that this is unlikely to be the case when these two contenders clash on Saturday night.
Ngannou has taken just 142 seconds to win his last three contests in total. That is less than a minute per match up, and he wasn;t knocking over a bunch of nobodies, but a number of top ranked UFC heavyweights.
Rosenstruijk has built up a solid reputation with an excellent 2019, which saw him land four stoppage wins in succession. He actively lobbied for this bout against Ngannou and now he has his wish, although it could well be something of a mixed blessing given the devastating form his opponent is in.
If this fight was taking place 12 months later, I’d give Rozenstruijk a much better chance of winning, but at the moment, I think Ngannou wins this one and will do so relatively comfortably.
*All odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport as of 9.30am on Thursday 7th March 2020.
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