[L->R] Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethj
The UFC and sports are BACK!!! On May 9th, for the first time in over two months, professional sports are back in America. UFC 249 is taking place in Jacksonville, Fl. It’s going to be an amazing card, and the beginning of the end for drought of live sports. Here are 5 reasons you should watch:
1. Whats Next for Khabib
Khabib Nurmagomedov is the Lightweight champion of the world, and is one of the biggest stars in the sport. His popularity has exponentially grown since defeating McGregor, and he can sell a card by himself. Since he is a devoted Muslim, he is fasting during Ramadan and won’t fight until the start of fall. However, his next opponent will be determined by the winner of the main event of Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson.
2. Knockouts, Knockouts, Knockouts
This card is loaded with knockout artists. The fighters in the main event, Ferguson and Gaethje, are both looking for a war and want to put the other out cold. Ngannou and Rozenstruik are two of the heaviest hitting fighters in the world, and have both ended fights with just one punch. The card is stacked with fighters who always look to finish the fight, and what’s a better ending to a fight than a knockout?
3. Familiar Faces
There are a handful of fighters on this card who are commonly known by the average sports fan like Cowboy Ceronne, the man who McGregor fought last is on the card. His opponent Anthony Pettis was the first MMA fighter to be on the cover of WHEATIES. Greg Hardy, the former Ole Miss and Panthers DE, will be fighting on the card. UFC analyst and former Bantamweight Champ Dominick Cruz will be challenging for the belt. There’s also Jeremy Stephens, who McGregor famously said “Who the f**k is that guy?” when Stephens spoke during a press conference will be fighting.
4. GOAT Killing
Henry Cejudo is an Olympic Champion, Flyweight champion, and Bantamweight UFC champion. There is nothing he cares more about than defeating the best of the best and being known as the pound for pound king. In his way is the greatest UFC Bantamweight of all time, Dominick Cruz. Cejudo is looking to add Cruz to his resumé and further his case for the GOAT.
5. 3 Fights 1 week
The UFC has planned three fights in a span of a week. This is the first event and the biggest one, so now is the perfect time to start watching the UFC. It’s an awesome sport and will always be exciting. There is also no other sports on and its a great way to watch something live again. Dana White seems to have everything under control, and if he can get Fight Island running, the UFC will be back to normal in no time.
UFC 249 is on May 9th, marking the first live sports in American since the COVID-19 outbreak. It is pay-per view on ESPN+, while the next two fights are just on ESPN+.
Photo: UFC.com
