The main event is the clash between Ferguson (25-3) and Gaethje (21-2), with the winner in line for a title shot against undefeated lightweight titlist Khabib Nurmagomedov. Gaethje is a late replacement for Nurmagomedov, who had planned to fight Ferguson but ended up stuck in Russia after attempting to be in the right place at the right time to get around travel restrictions.<\/p>\n
That makes this a critical matchup for both men, and one that remains exciting for fans even without Nurmagomedov in the mix. In fact, Gaethje thinks that Ferguson might be a tougher test for him than an eventual title clash with the Russian.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s so many unknowns with Tony,\u201d<\/strong> Gaethje said ahead of UFC 249. \u201cYou know what Khabib is going to do, and that\u2019s going to be take you down, try to push you against the fence. And if not, he\u2019s going to try and take shots from the space in the middle of the Octagon. I believe that he can\u2019t take me down in the middle of the Octagon, and I can stay off the fence. So that puzzle is written. How do you beat Tony? I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m going to find out.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nFerguson talked about Nurmagomedov with the media as well, attacking the champion for what he sees as ducking their planned fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cKhabib didn\u2019t want the fight, he ran away like a dog with his tail between his legs. It\u2019s the same thing with Conor,\u201d Ferguson said during the virtual media day for UFC 249. \u201cWhere are they at? Obviously they\u2019re back home trying to quarantine and we\u2019re here crushing quarantine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bantamweight Title Fight Co-Headlines UFC 249<\/strong><\/h2>\nWith both Ferguson and Gaethje known for producing action-packed fights, fans should expect a thrilling main event. And yet, there\u2019s the potential for the co-main event to overshadow the final bout of the night.<\/p>\n
That contest will see Henry Cejudo (15-2) take on Dominick Cruz (22-2) for the UFC bantamweight championship. Cejudo has won his last five fights in impressive fashion, including winning and defending the UFC flyweight title before relinquishing that crown to focus on the bantamweight division. Meanwhile, Cruz has been out of action for four years. But while he may be rusty, his name and pedigree were enough to land him an immediate title shot in his return to the ring.<\/p>\n
Cejudo enters the co-main event as a -220 favorite over Cruz (+180). Other attractions on the UFC 249 main card include a heavyweight fight between Francis Ngannou (-280) and the undefeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik (+230), as well as a featherweight contest between Calvin Kattar (-240) and Jeremy Stephens (+200).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tony Ferguson will try to win the interim lightweight title yet again on Saturday, as he battles Justin Gaethje in the main event of UFC 249 in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday. Ferguson enters the fight as a -190 favorite over Gaethje (+160), according to William Hill. Ferguson, Gaethje in Line for Shot at Nurmagomedov UFC […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":42,"featured_media":135293,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,1074],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
UFC 249 Odds: Tony Ferguson, Henry Cejudo Favored in Title Fights<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n