The UFC is finally opening back up, as UFC 249 takes place this Saturday night live from Jacksonville, Florida.
After weeks away from the Octagon, fans will be able to witness greatness again – just away from the arena.
In the main event, Tony Ferguson takes on Justin Gaethje for the interim UFC lightweight title. Ferguson is a previous holder of the very same belt, while Gaethje once wore the World Series of Fighting title.
As can be seen in the table, Ferguson is is the odds-on favorite to walk out of the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena with the interim title. One site lists him at a -180 favorite, with the other having him at -172.
To better understand the table, here is an article that helps explain how odds work. This includes mixed martial arts fights like Ferguson vs. Gaethje. It’s an insightful read and helps to understand all the ins and outs of betting and why it’s important to understand the meaning of the “-” and “+” signs.
The 36-year-old nicknamed “El Cucuy” currently holds the UFC lightweight division record with 12 consecutive wins. A former winner on The Ultimate Fighter, Ferguson has stopped Donald Cerrone, former UFC champion Anthony Pettis and Kevin Lee in succession.
Prior to that run, he scored wins over former UFC champion Rafael dos Anjos, Landon Vannata, Edson Barboza, Josh Thomson, Gleison Tibau, Abel Trujillo, Danny Castillo, Katsunori Kikuno and Mike Rio.
Overall, Ferguson is 25-3 with 12 wins via knockout and eight more by way of submission. He has earned five “Fight of the Night” bonuses, three “Performance of the Night” honors and two more “Knockout” and “Submission” bonues.
Gaethje, who has reeled off impressive wins himself since coming over to the UFC, is listed at a +150 and +147 underdog entering the fight.
The 31-year-old Gaethje, nicknamed “The Highlight,” has finished Cerrone, Barboza and James Vick all inside of the first round in his last three fights.
In his career, Gaethje is 21-2 with 18 of those victories being knockouts and one more by way of submission. His only two losses came to former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and ex-UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
So, who do you think takes it Saturday night, Ferguson or Gaethje? And who do you plan to place a few bucks on?
Here’s the latest UFC 249 fight card:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+ Pay-Per-View)
Interim UFC Lightweight Championship
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje
UFC Bantamweight Championship
Henry Cejudo (c) vs. Dominick Cruz
Heavyweight: Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Featherweight: Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar
Heavyweight: Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan de Castro
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN)
Welterweight: Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis
Heavyweight: Alexey Oleinik vs. Fabricio Werdum
Strawweight: Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson
Middleweight: Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+)
Welterweight: Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price
Featherweight: Bryce Mitchell vs. Charles Rosa
Light Heavyweight: Ryan Spann vs. Sam Alvey
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