UFC 249
| Company type | Sporting event |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mixed martial arts |
| Founded | May 9, 2020 |
| Headquarters | Jacksonville , United States |
Area served | International (MMA audience) |
Key people | Dana White (UFC president) |
| Products | Mixed martial arts competition |
| Website | www |
UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 9, 2020, at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena located in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. Originally planned for April 18 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, the event was postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. On April 21, the UFC officially announced the new date and venue change to Florida.
Background
The event was set to be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship clash between reigning champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim titleholder Tony Ferguson. This highly anticipated fight had been scheduled and subsequently canceled four times over the previous four years due to various setbacks such as injuries and other complications. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the bout to be called off for a fifth time.
A featherweight contest between Jeremy Stephens and Calvin Kattar was originally arranged for UFC 248 but was moved to this event after Stephens withdrew due to injury.
A heavyweight matchup featuring Shamil Abdurakhimov against Ciryl Gane was planned but later removed when Gane experienced a pneumothorax during training.
A welterweight fight between former Bellator Welterweight Champion Lyman Good and Belal Muhammad was scheduled. This pairing had initially been booked for UFC 205 but was postponed because of Good's anti-doping violation and subsequent injury. Good pulled out again shortly before the event, later disclosing he tested positive for COVID-19.
A women's strawweight rematch involving former champions Jéssica Andrade and Rose Namajunas was expected to serve as co-main event. Andrade had previously defeated Namajunas at UFC 237 to claim the title. Namajunas withdrew for personal reasons, citing family losses connected to the COVID-19 crisis.
COVID-19 pandemic – postponement of April 18 event
On March 12, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo imposed restrictions on large gatherings due to COVID-19 concerns. Four days afterward, UFC president Dana White stated that while the event remained scheduled, its location might be altered. However, on March 18, the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) declined to approve the event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. By March 23, White confirmed plans to hold the event at a new site without spectators, with possible adjustments to the fight card depending on logistical issues.
On March 30, Khabib Nurmagomedov reported being in Dagestan and indicated he might miss the event because of travel limitations. On April 1, he appeared likely to withdraw, emphasizing adherence to quarantine protocols. Later statements suggested he would compete if relocated but expressed skepticism about that possibility.
Since Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California is situated on tribal land exempt from California State Athletic Commission's combat sports ban through May, it emerged as a potential venue.
On April 6, UFC announced that Nurmagomedov would be replaced by former WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje to challenge Tony Ferguson for an interim lightweight title. The revised fight card featured:
- Heavyweight bouts: Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (rescheduled from a cancelled card), Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro.
- Welterweight rematch: Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price.
- Lightweight contest: Omar Morales stepped in for Islam Makhachev against Alexander Hernandez.
- Bantamweight bout: Marlon Vera faced former UFC Flyweight contender Ray Borg.
- Lightweight fight: Michael Johnson replaced Ottman Azaitar to oppose Khama Worthy.
- Light heavyweight bout: Ryan Spann took on Sam Alvey.
Several fights were removed with plans for future rescheduling including Magomed Ankalaev vs. Ion Cuțelaba (rematch), Ben Rothwell vs. Gian Villante, Karl Roberson vs. Makhmud Muradov, and Hunter Azure vs. Umar Nurmagomedov.
Dana White mentioned that UFC’s temporary location would accommodate U.S.-based fighters not subject to domestic travel restrictions. On April 7, Florida officials offered their approval and support for hosting UFC events. The venue was expected to be Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino, which has a history of hosting World Extreme Cagefighting and Tachi Palace Fights promotions.
However, on April 9, White declared the cancellation of this event along with all upcoming UFC events following interventions by executives at ESPN and its parent company Disney. It later emerged that California Governor Gavin Newsom played a role in influencing this cancellation decision.
May 9 – event rescheduled
Originally, UFC 250 was planned for May 9 at São Paulo's Ginásio do Ibirapuera. Yet, on April 7, the arena was converted into a COVID-19 field hospital, necessitating the event's relocation.
The headline fight for the UFC Bantamweight Championship was set to feature Henry Cejudo, an Olympic gold medalist and former flyweight titleholder, against José Aldo, a former WEC and two-time UFC Featherweight Champion. Aldo withdrew on April 8 due to visa complications linked to the event's anticipated move to the United States. Dominick Cruz, a former two-time bantamweight champion, was expected to step in as his replacement.
The co-main event was scheduled as a UFC Women's Featherweight Championship clash between Amanda Nunes, the reigning featherweight and bantamweight titleholder, and Felicia Spencer, ex-Invicta FC Featherweight Champion. Nunes later pulled out to allow for a full training camp.
The shift to the U.S. led to several fighters withdrawing because of visa issues, resulting in the cancellation of multiple bouts including:
- A light heavyweight matchup between ex-UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Maurício Rua and Antônio Rogério Nogueira.
- Women's bantamweight contests featuring Ketlen Vieira vs. Marion Reneau and Bethe Correia vs. Pannie Kianzad.
- Heavyweight fights such as Augusto Sakai vs. Blagoy Ivanov and Carlos Felipe vs. Sergey Spivak.
On April 21, UFC 249 was rescheduled in Florida, marking the organization's return during pandemic restrictions. Florida's Executive Order 20-91 allowed UFC events behind closed doors under essential services classification. The card announced on April 24 maintained Ferguson vs. Gaethje as the main event and included:
- Women’s strawweight bout Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson, initially planned for a previously canceled card.
- Featherweight fight Bryce Mitchell vs. Charles Rosa.
- Bantamweight title contest Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz.
- Heavyweight clash Fabrício Werdum vs. Aleksei Oleinik.
- Welterweight rematch Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone.
Other bouts postponed from April 18 were anticipated to be rescheduled at a later date.
At weigh-ins, Jeremy Stephens exceeded the featherweight limit by 4.5 pounds and was fined 30% of his purse; his fight against Calvin Kattar proceeded at catchweight. Additionally, a middleweight bout between former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Ronaldo Souza and Uriah Hall was canceled after Souza and members of his corner tested positive for COVID-19.
Bonus awards
A $50,000 bonus was awarded to fighters as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje
- Performance of the Night: Justin Gaethje and Francis Ngannou
Reported payout
The total disclosed fighter payroll reported to the Florida State Boxing Commission amounted to $3,557,000, excluding sponsor earnings and UFC "fight night" bonuses:
- Justin Gaethje: $350,000 defeated Tony Ferguson: $500,000
- Henry Cejudo: $350,000 defeated Dominick Cruz: $300,000
- Francis Ngannou: $260,000 defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik: $80,000
- Calvin Kattar: $116,100 defeated Jeremy Stephens: $46,900 ^
- Greg Hardy: $180,000 defeated Yorgan de Castro: $12,000
- Anthony Pettis: $310,000 defeated Donald Cerrone: $200,000
- Aleksei Oleinik: $160,000 defeated Fabrício Werdum: $100,000
- Carla Esparza: $102,000 defeated Michelle Waterson: $60,000
- Vicente Luque: $180,000 defeated Niko Price: $57,000
- Bryce Mitchell: $54,000 defeated Charles Rosa: $24,000
- Ryan Spann: $50,000 defeated Sam Alvey: $65,000
^ Jeremy Stephens relinquished 30% ($20,100) of his purse to Calvin Kattar due to missing weight.
Aftermath
During the event's broadcast, it was revealed that former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight Champion Georges St-Pierre would be honored with induction into the Modern Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.
Following his TKO triumph over Dominick Cruz, Henry Cejudo announced his immediate retirement from competition.