Fight Night Ferguson vs Gaethje

Few events on the sports betting calendar evoke as much excitement as UFC 249. This fight night promises explosive action from some of the hardest hitting MMA pugilists on the planet. While the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be in attendance due to travel restrictions and quarantine, the show must go on. UFC fight boss Dana White has pulled a rabbit out of the hat by bringing legendary fighters to the cage, at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, in Jacksonville Florida. Come Saturday, 9 May 2020 fire and brimstone is going to be unleashed as Tony Ferguson takes on Justin Gaethje in one of the most-high profile events of the calendar year.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is undoubtedly one of sport’s greatest spectacles. Akin to the days of the Colosseum in Rome where gladiators would fight to the death, UFC brings hard-hitting action to the octagon for fight fans all over the world. Tony ‘El Cucuy’ Ferguson is 36 years old, and an even 6 feet tall. He weighs in at 155 lbs, with 25 wins, 12 by KO/TKO (48%), 8 submissions (32%), and 5 decisions (20%). Ferguson has lost 3 bouts, zero by KO/TKO, 1 by submission (33%), 2 by decisions (67%). Coming out of Oxnard California in the USA, Ferguson will be looking for a knockout against his opponent, Justin Gaethje.

Ferguson's Recent Fight History:

* Abel Trujillo – UFC 181 WIN by Submission in Round Two at a time of 4 minutes 19 seconds - 6 December 2014.
* Gleison Tibau - UFC 184 WIN by Submission in Round One at a time of 2 minutes 37 seconds - 28 February 2015.
* Josh Thomson – UFC 71 WIN by Unanimous Decision in Round Three at a time of 3 minutes - 15 July 2015.
* Edson Barboza – UFC The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale WIN by Submission in Round Two at a time of 2 minutes 54 seconds - 11 December 2015.
* Lando Vannata – UFC Fight Night 91 WIN by Submission in Round Two at a time of 2 minutes 22 seconds - 13 July 2016.
* Rafael dos Anjos - UFC Fight Night 98 WIN by Unanimous Decision in Round Five at a time of 5 minutes - 5 November 2016.
* Kevin Lee – UFC 216 WIN by Submission in Round Three at a time of 4 minutes and 2 seconds  7 October 2017.
* Anthony Pettis - UFC 229 WIN by TKO in Round Two at a time of 5 minutes - 6 October 2018.
* Donald Cerrone - UFC 238 WIN by TKO in Round Two at a time of 5 minutes - 8 June 2019.

Heading into UFC 249, Ferguson had not fought at the UFC for 11 months. Once the cage closes, fight fans are expecting Tony Ferguson to create lots of space between him and his opponent allowing him test his creativity, endurance, and innovation in the octagon. UFC aficionados roundly agree that Ferguson ‘El Cucuy’ is a formidable threat to his opponent, Justin Gaethje.

As the former UFC interim lightweight champion, Ferguson brings plenty of excitement to the ring. His 12-win fight streak has left opponents in his wake. I once heard a devout fan describe Ferguson as having, ‘… Torn every opponent to pieces, leaving them in a bloody mess. His unorthodox fighting style and multi-dimension arsenal of skills will be a nightmare to the best lightweights on the planet.’ I share those sentiments, but I know that Gaethje is massively talented too.

Gaethje’s Recent Fight History:

Justin Gaethje is fighting out of Safford, Arizona in the USA. Born in November 1988, this 31-year-old fighter is part of the Genesis Training Center Association and weighs in at an even 155 lbs. His record speaks volumes – 21 wins, with 18 by KO/TKO (86%), 1 by submission (5%), and 2 by decision (10%). During his career, he has suffered 2 losses, both by KO/TKO. His recent fight history includes the following:

* Luiz Firmino – WSOP 34 – WIN TKO in Round Three at a time of 5 minutes - 31 December 2016.
* Michael Johnson – UFC The Ultimate Fighter 25 Finale – WIN TKO in Round Two at a time of 4 minutes 48 seconds - 7 July 2017.
* Eddie Alvarez – UFC 218 – LOSS in Round Three at a time of 3 minutes 59 seconds - 2 December 2017.
* Dustin Poirier – UFC on Fox 29 – LOSS by TKO in Round Four at a time of 33 seconds - 14 April 2018.
* James Vick - UFC Fight Night 135 – WIN by KO in Round One at a time of 1 minute 27 seconds - 25 August 2018.
* Edson Barboza - UFC on ESPN 2 – WIN by KO in Round One at a time of 2 minutes 30 seconds - 30 March 2019.
* Donald Cerrone - UFC Fight Night 158 – WIN by TKO in Round One at a time of 4 minutes 18 seconds - 14 September 2019.

888sport has some great UFC betting odds on this fight, currently at -177 for Tony Ferguson and +154  for Justin Gaethje. Make your bets count – hit hard with the top UFC odds from New Jersey's leading sports book.

* Picture courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski and AP