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Live sports programming returned with UFC 249 and it felt refreshing to watch live MMA again. Jacare Souza's positive test didn't deter Dana White from going ahead with the UFC 249 event and in the end, it was a show that will stand out in the history books.
The entire UFC 249 card - right from the prelims to the main show - was stacked with high-calibre fights.
The main event of UFC 249 saw Tony Ferguson take on Justin Gaethje in a fight for the interim Lightweight Championship. Henry Cejudo defended the Bantamweight title against the returning Dominick Cruz after which Triple C announced his retirement from the sport.
Heavyweight knockout artists Francis Ngannou and Jairzinho Rozenstruik finally locked horns against each other. The controversial Greg Hardy was pitted up against the undefeated Yorgan de Castro while the battle-hardened veteran Jeremy Stephens took on the highly-rated Calvin Kattar to round off the main card of UFC 249.
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On that note, let's rundown the results and highlights of UFC 249.
UFC 249 Results - Prelims
The UFC 249 pelims had a few main event-worthy contests and it perfectly set the stage for the main card to follow. Here are the quick results of the prelims of UFC 249:
Anthony Pettis def. Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Aleksei Oleinik def. Fabricio Werdum via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28)
Carla Esparza def. Michelle Waterson via split decision (27-30, 29-28, 30-27)
Uriah Hall vs. Jacare Souza
Vicente Luque def. Niko Price via TKO (eye injury) (3:37, Round 3)
Bryce Mitchell def. Charles Rosa via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-24)
Ryan Spann def. Sam Alvey via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
UFC 249 Results - Main Card
#5. Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan de Castro (Heavyweight)
Greg Hardy was coming off a loss against Alexander Volkov, however, a win against the undefeated Yorgan de Castro at UFC 249 will catapult him back to prominence in the heavyweight division. Castro beat Justin Tafa in his UFC debut in October 2019.
Round 1: Castro came out throwing bombs and Hardy tried to keep him away with the straight kicks. Yorgan's hand speed was a thing to behold as he looked to string together three-piece combinations. Yorgan also tried to connect with the low leg kicks.
Hardy, however, was the bigger man and he used his reach advantage to stay away and chop away with the outside leg kicks. Hardy came into the pocket but got cracked with a right. Castro followed up with another leg kick, which Hardy didn't check. Hardy looked for the jabs but Castro moved his head well. Hardy picked up the pace and cornered Castro against the cage. The Prince of War tagged his opponent with a few strikes and avoided getting hit himself by moving his head swiftly.
10-9 Castro
Round 2: Castro amped up the pace in the second round as he followed Hardy and looked to connect with a blitz combo. Hardy's defence and movement was decent enough to avoid a big shot. Castro stuck to his gameplan of hitting Hardy with leg kicks.
Hardy checked a few kicks and himself went for the inside leg kicks. Hardy was the more active fighter for a majority of the round as Castro just moved around without attempting anything after a great start.
10-9 Hardy
Round 3: Hardy started strong with a big right. Castro replied with a short right hook. Hardy was told to connect with the inside leg kicks and continue to box. Hardy was proactive throughout the round as Castro just wasn't doing enough.
Castro slipped with two minutes left to and he stayed on his back. Castro probably wasted a lot of time on the mat but he eventually got back up. Hardy kept on hustling and it seemed like Castro may have injured his leg earlier on in the fight, which explains why he slowed down the pace as the fight went on.
Result: Greg Hardy def. Yorgan de Castro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Hardy had to make some big adjustments as he was getting dominated in the first round, however, Prince of War weathered the early storm, stayed busy and put on a very professional performance en route to a win.
#4. Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar (Catchweight)
Jeremy Stephens missed weight by almost five pounds and while Calvin Kattar was annoyed by the development, the show had to go on.
Round 1: Stephens was unsurprisingly the aggressor as the fight kicked off. He pushed Kattar into the corner and Stephens went on to put together a few combos.
Stephens looked to string together two-piece combos followed by the low kicks. Kattar tried to keep up with the low kicks. He stayed patient and waited for things to settle down. Kattar tried to cut the distance with the clinch but Stephens pushed him away and tagged Kattar with a right. The rights landed for Stephens, who took control of the fight and was landing his shots. Kattar's left leg buckled hard as a result of Stephens' kick.
Kattar fought back with a fantastic extended right-hand shot. That was long, straight and utterly beautiful to watch. Stephens ate it like it was nothing and fired back with a combo. The first round ended with Kattar losing balance as he rushed forward.
10-9 Stephens
Round 2: Stephens continued to attack the lead leg of Kattar. Jeremy's kicks were snappy and swift. Kattar caught Stephens but Jeremy absorbed it.
Calvin began to chomp away on Stephens' lead leg with some kicks. Both men traded bombs and combos until Calvin unleashed the highlight reel elbow!
Kattar stepped into the pocket and cracked Stephens with a perfect elbow. Jeremy's knees buckled and Calvin Kattar jumped in for the finish. Kattar opened up a forehead cut on Stephen's face with a follow-up left elbow before the referee stepped in to end the fight.
Result: Calvin Kattar def. Jeremy Stephens via KO (Elbow) (2:42, Round 1)
The timing of that elbow couldn't have been any better from Kattar. Just watch the destructive thing of beauty below:
#3. Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (Heavyweight)
The fans have been waiting for this heavyweight showdown for ages. The time for talk was over and it was time to decide who was the undisputed knockout artist amongst the big boys of the UFC.
Round 1: Francis Ngannou went for the jab while Jairzinho Rozenstruik connected with a few inside leg kicks.
Ngannou wasn't messing around as he took the fight to Jairzinho with a wild fury of strikes for a knockout shot. Ngannou landed with just one shot in the entire blitz. Thankfully for The Predator, he landed flush on Jairzinho's chin with a monstrous left hook. That was absolutely devastating!
Rozenstriuk was sent to planet unconscious and it took Ngannou just 20 seconds.
Result: Francis Ngannou def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik via KO (0:20, Round 1)
If you feel Francis isn't the scariest man alive then you've got to watch the full fight here:
Ngannou proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he deserves a crack at Stipe Miocic's Heavyweight Championship. However, with Daniel Cormier pushing for a trilogy with Stipe, where does it leave The Predator in the title picture?
#2. Dominick Cruz vs. Henry Cejudo (Bantamweight Championship)
Dominick Cruz has done it before but can he pull off another feel-good comeback story against one of the most accomplished athletes in the UFC, Henry Cejudo? Only one way to find out...
Round 1: Dominick's Cruz distinct movement was a treat to watch after such a long time. Cejudo caught a mobile Cruz with a solid outside leg kick. Cejudo was putting a lot of power behind the leg kicks. Triple C looked to limit Cruz's elusive movements by chopping away on the leg.
The leg kicks kept coming away as Cruz was just getting used to the pace of the fight. The first round ended with Cejudo taking it on the scorecards as a result of all the kicks.
10-9 Cejudo
Round 2: Cruz was told to fight and he came out looking a little more active. Cruz kept avoiding all the incoming strikes but he couldn't avoid a body kick. Cejudo kept attacking the lead left leg while also getting a few punches.
Cruz was also landing a few shots in the exchange. Cruz took a heavy breath and landed a beautiful right followed up by a combo. Dominick was beginning to find his range. Both men threw a lot of leather at each other.
Both men exchanged low kicks. This was a close round as Cruz and Cejudo had their moments. Cruz shot for the takedown and settled for a left shot on the break. A clash of heads opened up a cut on Cejudo's head. The referee called for a timeout and the doctors stepped in to check on the champ.
The fight resumed and Cejudo nailed Cruz with a massive knee. Cruz fell to the mat and Henry went in to apply finishing touches with 13 unanswered shots. The referee stopped the fight just as Cruz was possibly trying to get back to his feet.
Result: Henry Cejudo def. Dominick Cruz via TKO (4:58, Round 2)
There is a lot to unpack here.
Replays showed that the stoppage made sense as Cruz was legitimately hurt. Dominick, however, argued that he was working his way up to the feet and he specifically told the referee to let him take the shots. What do you guys think? Was the stoppage justified?
Henry Cejudo also announced his retirement after the fight, however, is he really done? Is yes, then we wish him all the best for his future endeavours. If not, we're looking forward to more shenanigans from the Olympic gold medalist.
#1. Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje (Interim Lightweight Championship)
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the main event of the evening," exclaimed Bruce Buffer. We certainly missed this!
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje had the potential to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest five-round wars of all time. Did it live up to all the hype? Let's find out.
Round 1: The lightweights circled the Octagon and scouted each other in the early goings of the fight.
Ferguson looked for an opening and both men attacked at the same time that led to a few clashes. Gaethje swung for the bleachers but missed as Ferguson ducked.
Tony followed it up with a high kick and a jab. Gathje connected with an inside leg kick. They both went for a wild shot and missed. That would have been huge if either one of them had landed. Gaethje connected with a right followed by a left hook. Ferguson went for the high kick again. Gaethje looked sharp as he blocked an uppercut and landed a quick right.
He was fast and landing clean. Gaethje landed two nasty left hooks. Ferguson got poked in the eye at the end of the round and he wasn't happy about it.
10-9 Gaethje
Round 2: Both fighters landed at the start of the round. Gaethje landed with another left hook, which was easily his most potent weapon. Gaethje avoided a few shots and landed another left hook. Ferguson has the strongest chin in the game and this was a big example of it.
Gaethje kept landing cleanly and Ferguson waited for his opportunity to get back. Gaethje went for looping right followed by a left. Gaethje kept putting in the work and Ferguson just kept eating them. How did he even stay up?
Gaethje was putting in a lot of power behind the punches and he was beginning to miss. Ferguson landed a 1-2 and Gaethje responded with fire. Ferguson rocked Gaethje with a huge uppercut. Gaethje wobbled and probably got saved by the buzzer.
10-9 Gaethje
Round 3: Gaethje was told by his corner to take some steam off his shots to conserve energy. Ferguson began to pick up the pace and he wasn't even breaking a sweat.
Ferguson suffered a big swelling under his right eye and that could have posed problems for him. Gaethje stunned Tony with another clean right. Tony fought back with a shot but Gaethje continued to connect with clean shots.
Gaethje timed two power shots and Tony called for more. What a freak of nature! Tony almost swept Gaethje off his feet with an insane leg sweep. That was straight out of Mortal Kombat!
The round ended with Tony landing a body shot.
10-9 Gaethje
Round 4: Ferguson was down three rounds and he needed to pile up the pressure in the championship rounds. Eddie Bravo called for an Imanari roll and a potential submission finish.
Gathje kept going and going and going and Ferguson kept eating all the punches. That was the story of the fight and it seemed like Ferguson was done. The round ended with Gathje showboating and feeling comfortable about his prospect in the fight.
10-9 Gaethje
Round 5: Gathje hurt Ferguson again with an overhand right. Justin connected with another clean combo while also attacking the legs.
Ferguson was getting dominated by the best version of Gaethje we'd seen thus far in the UFC. Gathje popped a jab and Ferguson wobbled through it.
Ferguson finally went for Imanari roll but it was a little too late and Gathje saw it coming from a mile away. Tony continued to get punished but he somehow stood on his feet. Inhuman endurance!
However, even Ferguson was just a human being after all and Herb Dean stopped the fight as Ferguson's feet had given up and he was just wobbling around the Octagon taking devastating punishment.
Result: Justin Gaethje def. Tony Ferguson via TKO (referee stoppage) (3:39, Round 5)
Take a bow, Justin Gaethje! The Highlight humbled El Cucuy with a dominant display of some clean and powerful boxing. It was a one-sided affair that no one expected to see.
Justin Gaethje is your interim Lightweight Champion but he wants the real belt, he wants Khabib Nurmagomedov!
We just can't wait for that to happen!
