UFC 249 is going to be a breath of fresh air for sports fans all over the world. Dana White has moved heaven and Earth (even buying an island) to produce fight events while quarantine has shut everything else down.
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Assembling one hell of a card to take place in Jacksonville, Florida, UFC 249 will take place at May 9th in what it's likely to be one of the biggest UFC events in history, and one that will surely go down as a milestone in sports due to the time where it's going to go down. Two title fights would make this event a marquee one on itself, but the caliber of fighters makes it much more than that.
Here's our betting guide with analysis and picks for each fight, from the prelims to the main event. Find UFC 249 odds and prop bets below.
Prelims
Ryan Spann -370 vs. Sam Alvey +336 (Light Heavyweight)
Starting the preliminary card, Ryan Spann rides in a seven-fight win streak right now, including names like the legendary Antonio Nogueira. Defeating Lil Nog puts some weight on your resume.
Spann excels in the submission game, having 11 of his 17 wins via tapping his opponents. On the other side, Alvey is a veteran who's in a three-fight losing streak (one of them against Nogueira), and his time at the UFC is in shambles if he loses the fight, the momentums are wholly different, and that makes Spann the heavy favorite.
Pick Ryan Spann -370.
Bryce Mitchell -175 vs. Charles Rosa +145 (Featherweight)
Bryce Mitchell is 12-0 and is rising through the ranks of the 145-pound division. Nine of his wins coming via submission, this despite being a brown belt in jiu-jitsu, which makes it impressive.
On the other hand, Charles Rosa is a fan of making opponents tap as well, with eight of his 13 wins being submission stoppages. A win here could put any of these two fighters into the top 15 Featherweight ranks.
Rosa is a black belt in jiu-jitsu, and that could come in handy to stop Mitchell's submission attempts.
Pick Charles Rosa +145.
#13 Vicente Luque -260 vs. Niko Price +205 (Welterweight)
Vicente Luque was on fine form, but he was a victim of a kickboxing masterclass from Stephen Thompson in his last fights, which stopped his momentum. Luque can finish you both standing up or on the ground and will hope to regain winning ways.
Price is 2-2 in his last four outings. However, he just came from a performance of the night display against James Vick, where he knocked Vick out with an upper kick. This can be one of the fights of the night.
Pick Vicente Luque -260
#10 Uriah Hall -110 vs. #14 Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza -120
Poised to be one Middleweight for the ages, Uriah Hall never achieved his true potential. He cracked the top 10 with two consecutive victories, and a third one could see him fighting a top-five contender. Hall has the skillset, it's his mental state, which has let him down. He sometimes feels disconnected from the fights.
Jacare, on his part, is a former Strikeforce Middleweight champion and has been with the very best in the UFC octagon. Nevertheless, he has lost three of his last four, and his stock has fallen. With 40 years and 35 fights, maybe father time is catching up with Jacare, but Hall is a perfect way to get back on track.
Pick Jacare -120.
#7 Carla Esparza -145 vs. #8 Michelle Waterson +115 (Strawweight)
Esparza is a former 115-pound champion. With two wins in her last two fights, Esparza looks to up her position to a title contender, her mission to reconquer gold is way on its run.
Waterson is a disciple of Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone, and as such, her karate and Muay Thai skills are very high-leveled. Waterson was on the rise until she got beat by Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Now, getting back to winning ways is crucial for her ascend in the Strawweight division.
Esparza is a woman on a mission and should beat Waterson, but an upset is not farfetched.
Pick Waterson +115.
#12 Aleksei Oleinik +240 vs. Fabricio Werdum -310 (Heavyweight)
So, picking a winner for this fight is quite tricky. Under normal circumstances, Werdum should easily defeat Oleinik, but two factors require substantial consideration.
One, Werdum hasn't fought in two years, ring rust may affect his movement and rhythm, while Oleinik is a 72-fight veteran, with 46 of his 58 wins coming via submission, both can grapple with the best of them, but Oleinik has been active, while Werdum hasn't.
The second factor, it's a Heavyweight bout. Oleinik only has eight KOs to his name, but a well-placed punch can turn the fight on its very core. Werdum is on the twilight of his career and, two years after his last battle, he will seek the form that made him a world champion.
Pick Werdum -310.
#6 Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone +105 vs. #15 Anthony 'Showtime' Pettis -135 (Welterweight)
Another weird one. Cowboy is in a three-fight losing streak, and Pettis has two defeats in a row. Both have been very unstable in his last few years, and even though both are great fighters, Cerrone holding multiple UFC records, and Pettis being a former world champion, but both of them are struggling.
Pettis has the skillset of dreams, that's why they call him 'Showtime,' but in the efforts to create highlight-reel finishes, he is very prone to make mistakes. Cerrone has the most finishes in UFC history, and Pettis' chin is not the same; it was years before, so a well-placed head kick could see another marquee finish for Cowboy.
Pick Cerrone +105
Greg Hardy -185 vs. Yorgan De Castro +145 (Heavyweight)
Greg Hardy has stayed as active as one fighter can be, although his last two fights have ended in one no-contest and then a unanimous decision loss. But Hardy has improved in the octagon and is continuously fighting to make his performances better.
However, Yorgan De Castro is an up-and-comer as well, with 6-0 in his record. A win for any of these fighters will properly give Dana White a sign of significant confidence.
Pick Hardy -185.
#7 Jeremy Stephens +190 vs. #9 Calvin Kattar -240 (Featherweight)
Two journeymen, two killers. This is a battle of veterans that still have serious power. Yet, both have struggled recently. Stephens has three losses and one no-contest in his last four fights, but his relentless style and fury have made him a fan favorite.
Kattar lost his last fight against top Featherweight contender Zabit Magomedsharipov, but with his three recent wins coming via KO, you can expect some bombs flying in there.
Even though Stephens is higher ranked, Kattar is not one to go down. He has never been knocked out. Kattar should edge 'Lil Heathen.'
Pick Kattar-240.
#2 Francis Ngannou -275 vs. #6 Jairzinho Rozenstruik +215 (Heavyweight)
Oh, my God. You can't find two stronger heavyweights than Ngannou and Rozenstruik. Between their combined 24 victories, 23 have been finishes, which is an impressive 96% percent.
Ngannou is a mainstay in the Heavyweight division for a while now and has cruised through many top contenders. Rozenstruik is the new killer on the block, and whoever wins is in prime position to challenge for the Heavyweight championship.
We can guarantee this one won't go the distance. While both have some severe knockout ability, Ngannou is the better fighter and should be able to find openings.
Pick Ngannou -275.
C Henry Cejudo -230 vs. Dominic Cruz +185 (Bantamweight Title Fight)
Henry Cejudo has been on a tear since 2017. Five-fight winning streak and becoming a double-champ hasn't been enough for the former Olympic gold medalist. He wants a legacy of humongous magnitude.
Now, he faces arguably the best bantamweight of all time in Dominic Cruz (22-2). Cruz has struggled to stay healthy but has shown time and time again ring rust is nothing but a myth to him.
Cruz's unique mobility, high IQ, fast-paced, strong wrestling base, and quick punching ability makes him very hard to prepare for, especially when you haven't seen him in action since 2016.
Cejudo is a wrestling prodigy, but his striking has increased massively in his last few fights. Cejudo is a fantastic fighter, but Cruz is arguably the best of all-time in his weight class. I'll go for an upset and say Cruz will defeat Triple C.
Pick Cruz +185.
#1 Tony 'El Cucuy' Ferguson -165 vs. #4 Justin 'The Highlight' Gaethje +135 (Interim Lightweight Title Fight)
Tony Ferguson is on a 12-fight win streak, arguably the best lightweight to ever grace the octagon. On his path, an elite fighter in Justin Gaethje.
Ferguson has the striking, the grappling, and a unique ability to damage his opponents from the back. His elbows are one of the best in the business, and his unorthodox dynamic style is so difficult to counter that often, he'll leave you exposed and ready to take some damage.
Gaethje has a hammer for a right hand and is an elite wrestler on his right. He is also an unorthodox fighter that flips and creates openings with strange moves. That's why this matchup is so compelling.
Ferguson seems a level above everyone else and never lost his title in the first place, he needs to win to go and fight Khabib (hopefully sixth time is the charm), and Gaethje's durability is not a strong part of his game. In contrast, Ferguson could easily go 25 minutes.
Pick Ferguson -165.