By Geno McGahee
You don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone and we have learned that with the Covid-19 and the shutting down of a lot of recreations and entertainment that we held dear. Dana White noted that it had to start somewhere and the world of MMA is coming back this Saturday night as UFC 249 comes to us live on PPV.
In the main event, the interim lightweight title is going to be decided between Tony Ferguson, 26-3, and Justin Gaethje, 21-2, and the fight is creating a lot of debate with the fans of mixed martial arts. Tony Ferguson is a betting favorite (-180), with Justin Gaethje being a (+150) underdog at UFC 249. According to the folks at Sports Betting Dime they believe Ferguson will get his hand raised and win his second interim lightweight title.
In the Ferguson-Gaethje match, we have a clash of styles and styles make fights. Gaethje is a powerful striker that remains on his feet and looks for his knockout shots. He has been called the “most violent man in the UFC” and when asked, he notes “that’s what I am.” He also brings a great personality, often letting his opponent know exactly what he thinks of him with several hand gestures. Much like Conor McGregor, Gaethje understands the showbiz side of combat sports and delivers. How a fighter that works off the crowd will work without a crowd should be interesting.
Across from Gaethje, is Ferguson, a fighter that is all business. Using a mixture of ground game and striking, Ferguson is the more complete fighter. He has been known to use his fists with combinations that are quick and fluent, but when he’s on the ground, he’s even better. He will try to get Gaethje on the ground and nullify the heavy leg kicks and head strikes that will be coming his way on Saturday night if he remains on his feet.
Also on the card is a bantamweight title bout between Henry Cejudo, 15-2, and Dominick Cruz, 22-2. Cejudo is the complete package, mixing precision punching, strong leg kicks and a ground game that puts him above most of his competition due to his amateur wrestling past. Cruz is called “the Dominator” for a reason and uses hard strikes to force his opponent into submission. He will be trying to land hard and set the tone immediately in this title fight, but the ground game of Cejudo will be hard to contend with.
In a heavyweight attraction, Francis Ngannou, 14-3, faces the undefeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik, 10-0, in a bout that could be over in a blink of an eye. Rozenstruik made big news registering one of the quickest knockouts in UFC history over Allen Crowder. The boxing style of Ngannou will either lead to the 0 going or another explosive knockout win. This could be the highlight reel fight of the night.
On Saturday night, the UFC returns and a full fight card with something for everyone. With the main event of Ferguson-Gaethje and the supporting bouts, it will be a must rent for those of you, like me, desperately wanting to watch some combat sports. Tune in Saturday night for what is sure to be a fun show.
