Top 5 fighters to watch at UFC 249

After weeks of rescheduling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, UFC 249 is set to go ahead on Sunday, May 10 (AEST) in Jacksonville, Florida.

UFC president Dana White has made all the necessary precautions to allow the highly anticipated event take place, including the creation of a safe zone for fighters in the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

Although UFC 249 will not feature its original lineup of fighters, there are plenty of stars waiting to be released into the octagon this weekend.

UFC 249 fight card

Main Card
Main Event Lightweight – Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje
Bantamweight Title Bout – Henry Cejudo vs Dominick Cruz
Heavyweight – Francis Ngannou vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Featherweight – Jeremy Stephens vs Calvin Kattar
Heavyweight – Greg Hardy vs Yorgan De Castro

Preliminary Card
Welterweight – Anthony Pettis vs Donald Cerrone
Heavyweight – Aleksei Oleinik vs Fabricio Werdum
Women’s Strawweight – Carla Esparza vs Michelle Waterson
Middleweight – Uriah Hall vs Ronaldo Souza

Early Preliminary Card
Welterweight – Vicente Luque vs Niko Price
Featherweight – Bryce Mitchell vs Charles Rosa
Light Heavyweight – Ryan Spann vs Sam Alvey

UFC 249 fighters to watch

Tony Ferguson
Record: 26-3-0
Height: 5’ 11” (180cm)
Weight: 155 LB (70kg)
Form: 12 straight wins

Tony Ferguson is an excellent fighter that can win in many different ways, highlighted by his 12 knockouts, eight wins via submission and five through decision. No fighter currently in the UFC Lightweight division has more consecutive wins than Ferguson’s 12. An unusually long reach allows Ferguson to control the octagon with ease, allowing him to measure space and distance better than most of his opponents. Ferguson is the $1.54 favourite at Ladbrokes to beat Justin Gaethje in the UFC 249 Main Event.

Justin Gaethje
Record: 21-2-0
Height: 5’ 11” (180cm)
Weight: 155 LB (70kg)
Form: Three straight wins

You won’t find many lightweight fighters that can hit as hard as Justin Gaethje, who has an astounding 18 knockouts from his 21 wins. Although he comes from a wrestling background and knows how to battle on the canvas, the 31-year-old Arizona native much prefers to stand up and start swinging. Gaethje won 18 consecutive fights before seeing his first loss, which was soon followed by another. The $2.45 price with Neds is not one to disregard, as he won all of his last three fights in the first round.

Henry Cejudo
Record: 15-2-0
Height: 5’ 4” (163cm)
Weight: 135 LB (61kg)
Form: Five straight wins

As a former flyweight champion and current bantamweight champion, Henry Cejudo is a genuine star of the UFC. His wins are split evenly between knockouts and decisions, meaning he is versatile and adaptable depending on the opposition. Good takedowns are glorious in bantamweight matches, which is why Cejudo is so successful. He has an Olympic gold medal from his wrestling days, meaning his opponents cannot target him on the canvas. Cejudo is favoured to retain his belt at $1.45 with Ladbrokes.

Francis Ngannou
Record: 13-3-0
Height: 6’ 4” (193cm)
Weight: 250 LB (113kg)
Form: Three straight wins

There is nothing better in sport than an athlete that has come from nothing to greatness, and Francis Ngannou fits that description perfectly. The Cameroonian former streetfighter had very little to his name until his coaches introduced him to MMA. Ngannou now sits as the third-ranked heavyweight fighter behind champion Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier. Winning his last three fights in a combined 2.12 minutes, Ngannou is like a boulder rolling downhill. His elite punching power leaves most opponents scared to enter his reach, making him a tough target to approach. Ngannou is paying $1.36 at Neds to win his heavyweight bout against Jairzinho Rozenstruik.

Donald Cerrone
Record: 36-14-0
Height: 6’ 0” (183cm)
Weight: 155 LB (70kg)
Form: Three straight losses

We are highlighting Donald Cerrone for a different reason to the last four fighters, as it is time the Cowboy gets back on the winners list after a tough run. At the peak of his powers, there wasn’t a fighter in the competition that would have an easy night against Cerrone, but the situation has changed after seven losses in 11 bouts. Cowboy famously went down to Conor McGregor in 40 seconds in his most recent fight. We all want to see Cerrone bounce back, and you can get around him at $2.25 with Ladbrokes.