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''UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje'' was a
mixed martial arts Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (attack), striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-s ...
event produced by the
Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
that took place on May 9, 2020 at
VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena (originally Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena) is a multi-purpose arena located in Jacksonville, Florida. It currently serves as the home arena of the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL, and the Jacksonville Sharks ...
in
Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...
, United States. It was originally planned to take place on April 18 at
Barclays Center Barclays Center ( ) is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liber ...
in
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...
, United States. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the event was eventually postponed ''(see section below)''. On April 21, the UFC confirmed that UFC 249 would be moved to May 9 and take place in
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
.


Background

A
UFC Lightweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
bout between the champion
Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was the longest-rei ...
and interim champion
Tony Ferguson Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist where he is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. A professional since 2008, and was signed to the UFC from his '' The Ultimate Fi ...
(also The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos welterweight winner) was slated to headline this event. The pairing had previously been scheduled and cancelled for various reasons on four occasions ( The Ultimate Fighter: Team McGregor vs. Team Faber Finale, UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans,
UFC 209 ''UFC 209: Woodley vs. Thompson 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on March 4, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Background The event was ...
and
UFC 223 ''UFC 223: Khabib vs. Iaquinta '' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on April 7, 2018, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Background A UFC Lightweight Championship bout between ...
) over the last four years. The bout was cancelled for a fifth time due to issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic ''(see section below)''. A featherweight bout between
Jeremy Stephens Jeremy Dean Stephens (born May 26, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist, Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle boxer and professional boxer, who currently competes in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Figh ...
and
Calvin Kattar Calvin Kattar ( ; born March 26, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and owner of MMA promotion ''Combat Zone''. He currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Figh ...
was expected to take place at
UFC 248 ''UFC 248: Adesanya vs. Romero'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 7, 2020 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. B ...
. However, Stephens was removed from the card in mid-January with an injury. The pairing was rescheduled for this event. A heavyweight bout between
Shamil Abdurakhimov Shamil Gentovich Abdurakhimov (born September 2, 1981) is a Russian former mixed martial artist, who competed in the heavyweight division. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Abdurakhimov was born on S ...
and
Ciryl Gane Ciryl Romain Jacky Gane (born April 12, 1990) is a French professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former Interi ...
was scheduled for the event. However, it was announced on March 5 that Gane was forced to pull out of the event after he was struck by a
pneumothorax A pneumothorax is collection of air in the pleural space between the lung and the chest wall. Symptoms typically include sudden onset of sharp, one-sided chest pain and dyspnea, shortness of breath. In a minority of cases, a one-way valve is ...
in training and the bout was eventually scrapped. A welterweight bout between former Bellator Welterweight Champion
Lyman Good Lyman Merrill Good (born May 26, 1985), also known as "American Cyborg", is an American mixed martial artist. He is perhaps best known for his time spent with Bellator, where he was the inaugural Bellator Welterweight Champion, along with being ...
and
Belal Muhammad Belal Muhammad (born July 9, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Welterweight (MMA), Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Welterweight Cha ...
was scheduled for this event. The pairing was previously expected to meet at
UFC 205 ''UFC 205: Alvarez vs. McGregor'' was a mixed martial arts event promoted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on November 12, 2016, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In what was described by UFC president Dana White as t ...
in November 2016, but Good was pulled from that event after being notified by the
United States Anti-Doping Agency The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA, ) is a non-profit, non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization and the national anti-doping organization (NADO) for the United States. To protect clean competition and the integrity of sport and prevent ...
(USADA) due to a potential anti-doping violation stemming from an out-of-competition drug test. However, Good pulled out due to injury on April 4 and the bout was scrapped. It was announced on April 20 that Good actually tested positive for COVID-19, being the first fighter to publicly acknowledge the fact. A women's strawweight rematch between former UFC Women's Strawweight Champions
Jéssica Andrade Jéssica Fernanda da Costa Andrade (born September 25, 1991) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the women's Strawweight and Flyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is a ...
and
Rose Namajunas Rose Gertrude Namajunas (born June 29, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the women's Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), and is a former two-time UFC Women's Strawweight ...
was expected to co-headline the event. The pairing previously met at
UFC 237 ''UFC 237: Namajunas vs. Andrade'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on May 11, 2019, at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event was originally expected to be held ...
in May 2019, where Andrade won via second round TKO to capture the title. However, Namajunas pulled out on April 8 for personal reasons, with her manager citing a pair of deaths in the family related to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason.


COVID-19 pandemic – the April 18 date is postponed

On March 12, New York
governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( , ; born December 6, 1957) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 until his resignation in 2021. A member of the Democratic Party and son of former governor Mario Cuomo, ...
issued an order restricting mass gatherings and sporting events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four days later, UFC president
Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who is the CEO and president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at . Out ...
announced via a letter to employees shared to the public that this event "is still scheduled as planned, but the location may change". On March 18, the
New York State Athletic Commission The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, is a division of the New York State Department of State which regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York ...
(NYSAC) announced that the event would not be sanctioned to take place at the event's original site, the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. On March 23, White revealed that he already had a new location for this event, but would only confirm that it will be held
behind closed doors Behind Closed Doors may refer to: Film, television and radio Film * ''Behind Closed Doors'' (1929 film), an early talkie starring Virginia Valli * Behind Closed Doors (1961 film), ''Behind Closed Doors'' (1961 film), an Italian comedy film by Dino ...
. White subsequently added on March 25 that the card could feature a different lineup, depending on the logistics.
Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was the longest-rei ...
stated on March 30 that he was in
Dagestan Dagestan ( ; ; ), officially the Republic of Dagestan, is a republic of Russia situated in the North Caucasus of Eastern Europe, along the Caspian Sea. It is located north of the Greater Caucasus, and is a part of the North Caucasian Fede ...
and his participation at the event could be jeopardized due to
travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic During the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries and territories imposed quarantines, entry bans, or other travel restrictions for citizens of or recent travelers to the most affected areas. Some countries and territories imposed global restric ...
. He stated on April 1 that he would probably not be competing at the event and reinforced that people should be in quarantine anyhow. He later confirmed that he would compete if a location was given and they were able to move him there, but did not see it happening. The UFC announced on April 6 that Nurmagomedov would be replaced by former WSOF Lightweight Champion
Justin Gaethje Justin Ray Gaethje (; born November 14, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2011, he is a former UFC Interim ...
, with an interim title to be disputed between him and
Tony Ferguson Anthony Armand Ferguson Padilla (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional mixed martial artist where he is a former Interim UFC Lightweight Champion. A professional since 2008, and was signed to the UFC from his '' The Ultimate Fi ...
. The rest of the card also underwent changes, with the following fights being added as well: *A heavyweight bout between former
UFC Heavyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
challenger
Francis Ngannou Francis Zavier Ngannou (born 5 September 1986) is a Cameroonian and French professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL), where he is the in ...
and
Jairzinho Rozenstruik Jairzinho R. Rozenstruik (born 17 March 1988) is a Surinamese professional mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He formerly competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Rozenstruik currently holds the r ...
. The bout was originally scheduled to headline UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik on March 28, but the event was cancelled due to the pandemic. *A heavyweight bout between
Greg Hardy Gregory McKarl Hardy (born July 28, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist, boxer, and former football defensive end. He played football for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Carolina Panthers. Hardy play ...
and
Yorgan De Castro Yorgan De Castro (born December 19, 1987) is a Cape Verdean professional mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports f ...
; the bout was originally scheduled for UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik. *A welterweight rematch between
Vicente Luque Vicente Catta Preta Luque (born November 27, 1991) is a Brazilian and American professional mixed martial artist of Chilean and Brazilian descent. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). B ...
and
Niko Price Nicholas Gordon “Niko” Price (born September 29, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Born and raised in Cape Coral, Florida, Price attend ...
; both fighters were expected to face different opponents at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris. They first met at UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Machida in October 2017, where Luque won via second round submission. *
Islam Makhachev Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev (; born 27 October 1991) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former sambo competitor. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the cu ...
was expected to face
Alexander Hernandez Alexander Xavier Hernandez (born October 1, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Hernandez began wrestling at the age of 13 and started train ...
in a lightweight bout, but was removed from the event due to travel restrictions and replaced by Omar Morales. *A bantamweight bout between
Marlon Vera Marlon Andrés Vera Delgado (born December 2, 1992), also known as Chito Vera, is an Ecuadorian professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of February 25, ...
and former
UFC Flyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
challenger
Ray Borg Ray Borg (born August 4, 1993), is an American former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Flyweight and Bantamweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor until 2023, Borg is best known for his 12–fight tenure in the Ultima ...
; Vera was expected to compete against a different opponent at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik. *
Ottman Azaitar Ottman Azaitar (born February 20, 1990) is a German mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the younger brother of UFC fighter Abu Azaitar. Background Ottman Azaitar wa ...
was expected to face
Khama Worthy Khama Worthy (born October 15, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. A professional since 2012, he has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), King of the Cage and CES MMA. B ...
in a lightweight bout, but was removed from the event due to travel restrictions and replaced by Michael Johnson. *A light heavyweight bout between
Ryan Spann Ryan Jamari Spann (born August 24, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional since 2013, he has also fought for the Legacy Fighti ...
and
Sam Alvey Sam Alvey (born May 6, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the current Karate Combat Heavyweight Champion. A professional MMA competi ...
; Alvey was expected to compete against a different opponent at UFC on ESPN: Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik. The following fights were removed from the event and are expected to be rescheduled for future cards: *A light heavyweight bout between
Magomed Ankalaev Magomed Alibulatovich Ankalaev (; born June 2, 1992) is a Russian professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current List of UFC champions, UFC Light H ...
and
Ion Cuțelaba Ion Cuțelaba (born 14 December 1993) is a Moldovan professional mixed martial artist who currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Born and raised in Chișinău, Cuțelaba bega ...
(a rematch from their meeting at UFC Fight Night: Benavidez vs. Figueiredo). *A heavyweight bout between
Ben Rothwell Ben Rothwell (born October 17, 1981) is an American mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle boxer who competes as a Heavyweight and is the current BKFC Heavyweight World Champion. He most notably had a 17 bout stint in the Ultimate Fighting C ...
and
Gian Villante Gianpiero Villante (born August 18, 1985) is a retired American mixed martial artist who previously fought in the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional from 2009 to 2021, he also has competed for Strikeforce ...
. *A middleweight bout between
Karl Roberson Karl Roberson (born October 4, 1990) is an American former kickboxer and mixed martial artist who competed in the Middleweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Early life and education Raised in Neptune Township, New Jersey. Rober ...
and
Makhmud Muradov Makhmud Muradov (born February 8, 1990) is an Uzbek professional mixed martial artist. He formerly competed in the Middleweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Makhmud Muradov was born on February 8, 1990, in Sov ...
. *A bantamweight bout between
Hunter Azure Hunter Azure (born March 2, 1992) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Azure was born on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Poplar ...
and
Umar Nurmagomedov Umar Magomednabiyevich Nurmagomedov (; born January 3, 1996) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Nurmagomedov has previously competed in ...
. A location for the event was not revealed, but Dana White said the UFC's temporary home would host U.S.-based fighters who aren't barred from traveling domestically. On April 7, Secretary of the
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation The Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) is the agency charged with licensing and regulating more than 1.6 million businesses and professionals in the State of Florida, such as alcohol, beverage & tobacco, barbers/cosmetol ...
Halsey Beshears Halsey W. Beshears (born November 27, 1971, in Winter Park, Florida) is a Republican politician from Florida. He served as the secretary of the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) from January 2019 to January 2021. ...
made a post on
Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
, offering to help sanction and host UFC events in the state. It was later revealed that the event was expected to take place at
Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino is an Indian casino and hotel on the Santa Rosa Rancheria in Lemoore, California. History The 1,100-seat Southgate Bingo Palace was built for $1 million by Paland, Inc. of Dallas, and opened on November 4, 1983. W ...
in
Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 252 ...
, the site of several events for the defunct
World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...
and
Tachi Palace Fights Tachi Palace Fights (TPF) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion which hosted events at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, California. Matchmaker for TPF was former fighter Richard Goodman. Regarded as a regional promotion, ...
promotions. On April 9, White announced that this event would not take place as scheduled and all other UFC events would be suspended until further notice, citing interventions from high-ranking staff of the UFC's U.S. media rightsholders,
ESPN Inc. ESPN Inc. is an American multinational sports media conglomerate majority-owned by the Walt Disney Company, with Hearst Communications as an equity stakeholder. Founded by Bill Rasmussen in 1979, it owns and operates local and global cable and ...
and parent
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
. It was later revealed that the 40th governor of
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
,
Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom ( ; born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2019 as the 40th governor of California. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served from 2011 to 201 ...
, influenced the decision of cancelling the event.


May 9 – a new date is set for the event

The promotion originally planned
UFC 250 ''UFC 250: Nunes vs. Spencer'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on June 6, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United States. I ...
to take place at
Ginásio do Ibirapuera Ginásio do Ibirapuera (), officially named Ginásio Estadual Geraldo José de Almeida
is an São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, Brazil on May 9. On April 7, it was announced that the venue would be used as a
field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile ...
during the
COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil The COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil has resulted in confirmed cases of COVID-19 and deaths. The virus was confirmed to have spread to Brazil on 25 February 2020, when a man from São Paulo who had traveled to Italy tested positive for the virus. ...
and would not be able to host the fight card. A
UFC Bantamweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC Championship#Title match system, championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, ...
bout between the current champion
Henry Cejudo Henry Carlos Cejudo (born February 9, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC ...
(also former UFC Flyweight Champion and 2008 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling) and former WEC and two-time
UFC Featherweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
José Aldo José Aldo da Silva Oliveira Júnior (; born 9 September 1986), known as José Aldo, is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer who competed in the Bantamweight and Featherweight divisions of the Ultimate F ...
was expected to serve as that event's headliner. However, Aldo withdrew on April 8 due to
visa Visa most commonly refers to: * Travel visa, a document that allows entry to a foreign country * Visa Inc., a US multinational financial and payment cards company ** Visa Debit card issued by the above company ** Visa Electron, a debit card ** Vi ...
issues as the event was expected to be moved to the United States. While not officially announced by the promotion at the time, former two-time bantamweight champion
Dominick Cruz Dominick Rogelio Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, sports analyst and color commentator. He competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the first ...
(who hadn't fought since December 2016) was expected to replace him. A
UFC Women's Featherweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight clas ...
bout between the current champion
Amanda Nunes Amanda Lourenço Nunes (born May 30, 1988) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the former UFC Women's Featherweight Champion and two-time UFC Women ...
(also the current UFC Women's Bantamweight Champion) and former Invicta FC Featherweight Champion
Felicia Spencer Felicia Dawn Spencer (born January 7, 1980) is a Canadian former mixed martial artist. She is the former Invicta FC Featherweight champion and formally competed in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Spen ...
was expected to serve as the co-headliner. Nunes announced on April 20 that she would not compete on this date due to her desire to have a full training camp. Due to the event being expected to be relocated to the United States, several changes were made due to fighters being unable to compete due to visa issues: *A light heavyweight bout between the former
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
Maurício Rua Maurício Milani Rua (; born 25 November 1981), also known as Shogun, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light H ...
(also 2005 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Champion) and
Antônio Rogério Nogueira Antônio Rogério Nogueira (; born 2 June 1976), also known as Minotouro or Lil Nog, is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the UFC. He is the twin brother of Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, the "Minotauro ...
was cancelled. The pairing previously met at
PRIDE Critical Countdown 2005 The year 2005 was the 9th year in the history of the Pride Fighting Championships, a mixed martial arts promotion based in Japan. 2005 had 10 events beginning with, ''Pride 29 - Fists of Fire''. Title fights Debut Pride FC fighters Th ...
and
UFC 190 ''UFC 190: Rousey vs. Correia'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 1, 2015, at the Jeunesse Arena, HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by a UFC Women's Bantamweight Championship bout between former ...
, with Rua winning both fights. *
Ketlen Vieira Ketlen Vieira da Silva (born 26 August 1991) is a Brazilian professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who currently competes in the women's Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of 8 ...
, who was expected to face Marion Reneau in a women's bantamweight bout. *Former bantamweight title challenger
Bethe Correia Bethe Correia (; born June 22, 1983) is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the women's bantamweight division. A professional mixed martial artist since 2012, Correia has competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Earl ...
, who was expected to face
Pannie Kianzad Pannie Pantea Kianzad (born December 8, 1991) is an Iranian-born Swedish mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the Women's Bantamweight division, having previously fought in Invicta FC and Cage Warriors where ...
in a women's bantamweight bout. *
Augusto Sakai Augusto dos Santos Sakai (born 19 May 1991) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA. Mixed martial arts career Early career Sakai made ...
, who was expected to face former WSOF Heavyweight Champion
Blagoy Ivanov Blagoy Ivanov (; born October 9, 1986) is a Bulgarian mixed martial artist and Sambo practitioner who is currently signed to the PFL, but on suspension due to testing positive to anabolic steroids. He previously competed for the Ultimate Fighti ...
in a heavyweight bout. *
Carlos Felipe Carlos Felipe (born January 12, 1995) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Heavyweight division of Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA). A professional since 2014, he most notably fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC ...
, who was expected to face Sergey Spivak in a heavyweight bout. On April 21, it was announced that the UFC moved UFC 249 to the new date, marking the promotion's return after the first wave of cancellations, most likely in Florida. Florida venues are permitted to host UFC events behind closed doors as a result of Executive Order 20-91 signed April 9, 2020 by governor
Ron DeSantis Ronald Dion DeSantis (; born September 14, 1978) is an American politician, attorney, and former United States Navy, naval officer serving as the 46th List of governors of Florida, governor of Florida since 2019. A member of the Republican Pa ...
, specifically stating as an essential service, "employees at a professional sports and media production with a national audience - including any athletes, entertainers, production team, executive team, media team and any others necessary to facilitate including services supporting such production - only if the location is closed to the general public." They confirmed the new card on April 24, with the Ferguson vs. Gaethje bout still scheduled to serve as the event headliner. The organization also announced that it would host two other events on
May 13 Events Pre-1600 * 1344 – A Latin Christian fleet defeats a Turkish fleet in the battle of Pallene during the Smyrniote crusades. *1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, v ...
and 16, both in Jacksonville. The rest of the card featured the following fights: *A women's strawweight bout between former
Invicta FC Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is current ...
and inaugural
UFC Women's Strawweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
Carla Esparza Carla Kristen Esparza (born October 10, 1987) is an American former professional mixed martial artist and wrestler who most recently competed in the women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which she is the fo ...
and former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion
Michelle Waterson Michelle Eileen Waterson-Gomez (born January 6, 1986) is an American former mixed martial artist, actress, stuntwoman, and model who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Betwe ...
. The bout was originally scheduled for UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris on April 11, one of the first events cancelled due to the pandemic. *A featherweight bout between Bryce Mitchell and
Charles Rosa Charles Rosa (born August 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division. A professional since 2012, he is most notable for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background ...
. The bout was originally scheduled for UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Weidman a week earlier. *Bouts already scheduled for the original UFC 250 event on May 9 – the previously mentioned
UFC Bantamweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC Championship#Title match system, championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, ...
bout between Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz, as well as a heavyweight bout between former
UFC Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
Fabrício Werdum Fabrício Werdum (; born 30 July 1977) is a Spanish-Brazilian mixed martial artist and former UFC Heavyweight Champion who competes in the Heavyweight division. He is also a 4-time Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, a two-time Abu Dhabi Comba ...
and
Aleksei Oleinik Aleksei Alexeyevich Oleinik (born June 25, 1977, as Oleksíy Oleksíyovych Olíynyk) is a Russian mixed martial artist and combat sambo fighter who fought for the Ultimate Fighting Championship, competing in their heavyweight division. He beg ...
. *A welterweight rematch between former WEC and
UFC Lightweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...
Anthony Pettis Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and professional boxer. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ...
and former lightweight title challenger
Donald Cerrone Donald Anthony Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and actor. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions of the Ultima ...
. The pairing previously met in a lightweight bout at UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson in January 2013, where Pettis won via first round knockout. Fights that were originally expected to take place at this event on April 18, but later expected to be rescheduled for future cards included Hernandez vs. Morales, Vera vs. Borg, Worthy vs. Johnson and a women's bantamweight bout between
Sijara Eubanks Sijara Jihan Eubanks ( ; born April 27, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competed in the women's bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Eubanks was born and raised in Springfield, Massac ...
and
Sarah Moras Sarah Ashley Moras (born 30 April 1988) is a Canadians, Canadian mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competes in the Bantamweight (MMA), Bantamweight division. Moras fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and she was a contes ...
. At the weigh-ins,
Jeremy Stephens Jeremy Dean Stephens (born May 26, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist, Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle boxer and professional boxer, who currently competes in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Figh ...
weighed in at 150.5 pounds, four and a half pounds over the featherweight non-title fight limit. He was fined 30% of his purse and his bout with
Calvin Kattar Calvin Kattar ( ; born March 26, 1988) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and owner of MMA promotion ''Combat Zone''. He currently competes in the Featherweight (MMA), Featherweight division of the Ultimate Figh ...
proceeded at a catchweight. Additionally, a middleweight bout between former Strikeforce Middleweight Champion
Ronaldo Souza Ronaldo Souza dos Santos (born 7 December 1979), nicknamed " Jacaré" (), is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist, submission grappler and 4th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Souza was a multiple time BJJ World ch ...
and
Uriah Hall Uriah Alexander Hall (born July 31, 1984) is a Jamaican-American former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, Kickboxing, kickboxer, and current Professional boxing, boxer. He competed in the Middleweight (MMA), Middleweight divi ...
was cancelled after Souza and two of his cornermen tested positive for COVID-19.


Results


Bonus awards

The following fighters received $50,000 bonuses. *Fight of the Night: Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje *Performance of the Night: Justin Gaethje and Francis Ngannou


Reported payout

The following is the reported payout to the fighters as reported to the Florida State Boxing Commission. It does not include sponsor money and also does not include the UFC's traditional "fight night" bonuses. The total disclosed payout for the event was $3,557,000. * Justin Gaethje: $350,000 def. Tony Ferguson: $500,000 * Henry Cejudo: $350,000 def. Dominick Cruz: $300,000 * Francis Ngannou: $260,000 def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik: $80,000 * Calvin Kattar: $116,100 def. Jeremy Stephens: $46,900 ^ * Greg Hardy: $180,000 def. Yorgan de Castro: $12,000 * Anthony Pettis: $310,000 def. Donald Cerrone: $200,000 * Aleksei Oleinik: $160,000 def. Fabrício Werdum: $100,000 * Carla Esparza: $102,000 def. Michelle Waterson: $60,000 * Vicente Luque: $180,000 def. Niko Price: $57,000 * Bryce Mitchell: $54,000 def. Charles Rosa: $24,000 * Ryan Spann: $50,000 def. Sam Alvey: $65,000 ^ ''Due to weighing in over the limit, 30% ($20,100) of Stephens' purse went to Kattar.''


Aftermath

During the broadcast, it was announced that former UFC Welterweight and Middleweight Champion
Georges St-Pierre Georges St-Pierre (; born May 19, 1981), also known by his initials GSP, is a Canadian former professional mixed martial artist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA) history. St-Pierre was a two-divi ...
would be inducted into the Modern Wing of the
UFC Hall of Fame The UFC Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In a ...
. Henry Cejudo announced his retirement immediately after his TKO victory over Dominick Cruz.


See also

*
List of UFC events List of UFC events is a list of events held and scheduled by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. UFC's first event, UFC 1, took place on November 12, 1993. Each UFC event contains ...
*
List of current UFC fighters This list of current UFC fighters records current Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters' information, country origins, recent fighter signings and departures, fight schedules and results and the champion of each division. , the UFC roster c ...
* 2020 in UFC


References

{{2020 in mixed martial arts Ultimate Fighting Championship flagship events 2020 in mixed martial arts 2020 in sports in Florida Mixed martial arts events in Florida Sports competitions in Jacksonville, Florida May 2020 sports events in the United States Sports events postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida