UFC 249: Latest odds & betting news for Ferguson vs Gaethje

While the rest of the sporting world sleeps, it looks like UFC 249 will go ahead on Saturday, April 18 as scheduled. The makeup of the event has changed considerably over the past few weeks, so let’s run through what we know about the next instalment of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Where will UFC 249 take place?

UFC 249 was originally slated for the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, but the coronavirus outbreak has killed off any chance of holding the event in the USA’s most populous city. While Dana White recently announced that he was working on a plan to stage future fights on an undisclosed private island, the April 18 card will not be heading offshore.

US media sources reported earlier this week that the Tachi Palace Casino Resort in Lemoore, California, was the frontrunner to host UFC 249. The tribal venue has staged a number of MMA events in the past, including 22 editions of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC).

Who is on the UFC 249 fight card?

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in several changes to the original UFC 249 fight card. Khabib Nurmagomedov is stranded in Russia due to travel restrictions, so Justin Gaethje will take on Tony Ferguson in the main event. Jessica Andrade was left without an opponent in the co-main event when Rose Namajunas pulled out earlier this week, while a few of the planned preliminary matchups have also been canned.

That leaves us with an 11-fight card for UFC 249, although further alterations could yet occur between now and April 18. Here are the bouts that are still set to go ahead:

Main card

Tony Ferguson (25-3-0) vs Justin Gaethje (21-2-0)
Lightweight

Greg Hardy (5-2-0) vs Yorgan De Castro (6-0-0)
Heavyweight

Vicente Luque (17-7-1) vs Niko Price (14-3-0)
Welterweight

Jeremy Stephens (28-17-0) vs Calvin Kattar (20-4-0)
Featherweight

Preliminary card

Francis Ngannou (14-3-0) vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-0-0)
Heavyweight

Uriah Hall (15-9-0) vs Ronaldo Souza (26-8-0)
Middleweight

Marlon Vera (15-5-1) vs Ray Borg (13-4-0)
Bantamweight

Early prelims

Alexander Hernandez (11-2-0) vs Omar Morales (9-0-0)
Lightweight

Michael Johnson (19-15-0) vs Khama Worthy (15-6-0)
Lightweight

Sijara Eubanks (4-4-0) vs Sarah Moras (6-5-2)
Bantamweight

Ryan Spann (17-5-0) vs Sam Alvey (33-13-0)
Light heavyweight

Ferguson vs Gaethje UFC 249 betting odds

Tony Ferguson – -200 at Bovada
Justin Gaethje – +162 at Bovada

Despite Nurmagomedov’s withdrawal, the UFC 249 main event is shaping up as a beauty. Ferguson has won 12 fights on the bounce, while Gaethje is a knockout machine with only two losses in his 23-bout career. Online bookmakers have Ferguson as the favourite, and with good reason, but we can expect ‘The Highlight’ to draw plenty of support between now and April 18. Unsurprisingly, KO/TKO is the most popular method of victory for both Ferguson (+210) and Gaethje (+230).