Everything you need to know for UFC 249

The UFC is back on Saturday, May 9th. UFC 249 gets underway at 6:30 p.m. in Jacksonville, Florida at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. The entire card of the PPV event will air on ESPN+. Additionally, the UFC Fight Pass prelims and regular prelims will air on ESPN. The UFC Fight Pass prelims will also simulcast on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN Deportes.

The main event of UFC 249 features Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje facing off for the interim lightweight title. Ferguson was originally slated to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov, but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic — marking the fifth postponement of their planned fight. Nurmagomedov is dealing with travel restrictions due to the pandemic and thus could not get to Florida for the event.

Bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo was set to face José Aldo at UFC 250 in Brazil, but Aldo withdrew due to visa issues when the event was set to move to the United States. Dominick Cruz has replaced him on the card in what looks to be the penultimate fight of the night.

Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik will square off in a heavyweight fight that was supposed headline a UFC on ESPN event. That event was also going to include Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro, but both fights were moved to this PPV.

This event was originally scheduled to include a women’s featherweight championship hout between current champion Amanda Nunes and former Invicta FC Featherweight Champion Felicia Spencer and was going to be the co-headliner. The fight was dropped when Nunes announced on April 20 that she would not fight in UFC 249 because she wanted a full training camp once the Covid-19 situation “pass[ed] a little bit.”

Here is the full card for Saturday’s UFC 249 PPV.

Main card, 10 p.m.

Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje, lightweight interim title
Henry Cejudo (c) vs. Dominick Cruz, bantamweight title
Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik, heavyweight
Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar, featherweight
Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro, heavyweight

Prelims, 8 p.m. ET

Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone, welterweight
Aleksei Oleinik vs. Fabricio Werdum, heavyweight
Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson, women’s strawweight
Uriah Hall vs. Ronaldo Souza, middleweight

Early prelims, 6:30 p.m. ET

Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price, welterweight
Bryce Mitchell vs. Charles Rosa, featherweight
Ryan Spann vs. Sam Alvey, light heavyweight