After weeks of speculation and uncertainty the Ultimate Fighting Championship formally announced that UFC 249 will be held May 9 (May 10 Philippine time) at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Tony Ferguson battles Justin Gaethje for the UFC Interim Lightweight title in the main event of the stacked card. Bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo takes on former titleholder Dominick Cruz in the co-main event.
The card will be the first of three events to be held in Florida with two more scheduled on May 13 and 16. All events will not have a live audience with only the fighters and essential personnel at the venue.
“I can’t wait to deliver some great fights for the fans. I want to give a big thanks to Mayor Curry, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and Florida State Boxing Commission Executive Director Patrick Cunningham for getting this thing done and giving us a venue to put on these incredible cards, as well our media partners including ESPN and ESPN+, for bringing it to fans. My team is ready to go and the fighters are excited to get back in there with these back-to-back events,” said UFC President Dana White.
Additional bouts on the card include a welterweight clash between fan favorites Anthony Pettis and Donald Cerrone and No. 2 ranked heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou taking on No. 6 Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Featherweight contender Jeremy Stephens, ranked no. 7, takes on No. 9 Calvin Kattar. Greg Hardy faces undefeated Yorgan De Castro in what is expected to be an exciting heavyweight bout.
Holding the UFC events in Florida became possible after governor Ron DeSantis deemed professional sports events as “essential services” which could be held even during the Covid-19 pandemic. The UFC will enjoy the full backing of the Florida government.
“As we move step-by-step on the path toward economic recovery, we are proud to host these UFC events at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. The UFC organization is a renowned entertainment brand that’s presented a safe and sensible plan to use this Jacksonville location, and we are thrilled to have our city highlighted nationally on ESPN and ESPN+. With Jacksonville continuing to outpace other cities and regions, we are excited to continue to lead as host to these world-class, international sports entertainment organizations,” said Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry.