CONFIRMED: Tony Ferguson v Justin Gaethje at Secret Location

UFC 249 is official. The card will go ahead, even if we don’t exactly know where yet. It’s believed that the event will take place on the west coast of the US, but no location has been divulged. It’s worth mentioning that Chael Sonnen held a Submission Underground event in a grain silo in Portland, Oregon. Just saying.

The next big news is that Tony Ferguson will fight Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. This is the second time that Ferguson will fight for an interim belt. It’s highly controversial because let’s be real. Everybody wants Tony v Khabib. Nothing else matters.

Of course, that means Ferguson is getting knocked out. We just know it’s going to end badly for him because it would be so typical. However, if there’s one good thing about this fight it’s that it might actually be more entertaining to watch. Khabib v Tony would be compelling. But Ferguson v Gaethje is going to be pure savagery.

Official

This is arguably the most controversial event the UFC has ever held. Many believe that it’s irresponsible for the UFC to host it because of the current health crisis. As well as risking their athletes’ health, the likelihood is that many of them will need hospital treatment. With medical facilities under severe strain is this really fair?

However, the UFC argues that life needs to go on. As well as this they see it as a massive business opportunity because so many people are at home bored. They think they’re going to get a massive audience because there are no live sports on TV right now. But there’s just one problem with this.

Are people really going to drop $70 on a fight card right now? Many people are worried about their incomes because companies are struggling to pay them. Freelancers are decimated and others are stressed about an impending recession. Forbes reported that WWE viewing figures are actually down right now. Don’t be surprised to see somewhere in the region of just 200-250,000 buys.

Style Clash

Meanwhile, this is a very interesting match-up. Ferguson is an eccentric fighter but highly effective. He’s got excellent BJJ and uses Wing Chun on the feet. In short, his elbow game is ludicrous. Both men also have great wrestling credentials.

Gaethje is coming off three KO wins and seems to have matured recently. First of all, he’s timing his shots better and not rushing into a brawl. But can he maintain his discipline against a crazy fighter like Ferguson? To sum up, we think Ferguson has this one.

Full Card

The full updated card for UFC 249 can be seen below. There are some very exciting match-ups, including Rose Namajunas’s opportunity to get revenge against Jessica Andrade. Meanwhile, Jeremy Stephens v Calvin Kattar has the potential to be the fight of the night. Check out the full card: