Tony Ferguson v Justin Gaethje: Three things to watch out for at UFC 249
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Odds and preview for Interim Lightweight Championship bout
After two failed attempts to hold UFC 249 so far, itcould be third time lucky with the event set to go ahead in Florida nextweekend.
Tony Ferguson was finally meant to face Khabib Nurmagomedovin the main event, but travel restrictions mean the undisputed lightweightchampion can’t defend his title.
Justin Gaethje has stepped in to replace the Russian, withthe main event set to begin at around 03:00 on BT Sport next Sunday.
Before the fight, we’ve picked out three things to keep aneye out for:
Can Ferguson keep his unbeaten run going?
Ferguson is the clear 8/15 favourite here. He’s on a 12-fight winning streak – a record for UFC’s lightweight division. He also hasn’t lost since back in 2012.
That unbeaten run is why fans are so keen to see El Cucuytake on the Khabib – who has won all 28 of his 28 bouts, giving him the longestactive undefeated streak in UFC.
It should be a monumental fight if and when they do eventually meet in the Octagon. But Ferguson has to keep winning for the match to maintain it’s allure.
Could Gaethje catch out Ferguson?
This was the fifth time that a fight between Ferguson andKhabib had been arranged, and the fifth time that it had to be cancelled.
Having waited so long to fight the Eagle, and prepared forhis relentless mauling style, will Ferguson now be ready for the challenge thatGaethje poses?
Gaethje may not have his opponent’s UFC experience, but three straight wins show he’s not to be taken lightly. We have him at 3/2 to win.
Will Gaethje get the KO?
The underdog is likely to come out swinging. He may have trained as a wrestler, but the two-time Arizona state champion doesn’t tend to use a mat-based approach like you might expect.
The 31-year-old has an aggressive, stand-up style. And as he’s won 18 of his 21 fights by KO or TKO, it’s clearly working for him. Our traders go 13/8 that he wins by KO/TKO/Submission.
He’s also won four Fight of the Night and three Performanceof the Night awards in just six UFC fights, which explains why his nickname isThe Highlight.
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
