I believe Ngannou gets it done via second-round TKO. (Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC). Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Campbell on why Cejudo will win: Does Cruz deserve the title shot fresh off a loss and a four-year layoff? He will be fined 30% of his purse. JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 08: Jeremy Stephens poses on the scale during the UFC 249 official ... [+] weigh-in on May 08, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Alvey is the biggest underdog on the card, and with good reason. Officially, I’m picking De Castro to utilize a more diverse striking game boosted by leg kicks that disturb Hardy’s base. His striking ability is insane and you can argue he’s the better striker out of the two of these brilliant warriors. However, Hall’s 69% takedown defense is a little above average, and he threatens with KO-level strikes from all levels. 1 contender's fight is flying under the radar a bit, but that's a testament to just how loaded this card truly is. Cruz will try and use his movement to his advantage and try and catch Cejudo when he progresses. That said, I can see it going the way of the Ngannou-Derrick Lewis fight back in July 2018. It will be the first major sporting event to take place following the Covid-19 outbreak. Thanks! UFC 249 Main Card Predictions Posted on May 8, 2020 May 14, 2020 by Vince McKee Posted in MMA , Written Content Tagged Greg Hardy , MMA , UFC , UFC 249 This UFC update is brought to you by Chris Walker of Top Tier Performance. Leave a like if you enjoyed and have a great day! But the changing times and travel restrictions caused by the pandemic led the event to be delayed and relocated, leaving Nurmagomedov out and landing Gaethje his golden opportunity. Ngannou takes a three-fight winning streak and knows another one should land him another title shot. At 33, he got a late start into MMA but that doesn’t mean he can’t fight. Let’s take a close look at the entire UFC 249 card with details on odds, Friday’s weigh-in results, and predictions for each fight in bold. Because of both guys’ resiliency, I can see this being a war that goes into the third round. Time will tell but he will forever be known as the guy who hit Rafeal dos Anjos so hard he made his eyes roll back in his head. Ex-interim lightweight champ Ferguson is aiming to become a two-time interim title holder in the main event. Even his standup is brilliant, watch his body shots, which will drain his opponents through the fight. weigh-in on May 08, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. I give Rosa enough credit to avoid being submitted, but Mitchell should control this one with top position and his pursuit of submission finishes. Hardly. https://www.facebook.com/TopTierPerform/?eid=ARCeIZXF219v74jVuA1ucY3mypUc2STO2Uxk_CoIhEh1pERL33oK2tcQrEk1tWU9aTkDw6tz42wJvl-B&timeline_context_item_type=intro_card_work&timeline_context_item_source=100001259948103&fref=tag, Player Spotlight Series: CSU Viking Izzy Geraci, Player Spotlight Series: Aurora Two-Sport Athlete Colin Skolaris, Week 8 Jenny’s Old Fashioned Popcorn Player of the Week Ballot. He’s pulled off some stunning wins when things have looked bleek during his career. Cejudo was not preparing to face anything like his style when he thought he would be fighting Jose Aldo. ( Log Out / This video is unavailable. Officially, I like Werdum based on more accurate and effective striking. Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje for the interim title. Once again, I can’t wait to watch this event. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. On Friday, their odds were in favor of the fight lasting less than 2.5 rounds (-140). Despite 20 wins, he is still looking for that first signature win to really put him on the map. We all prepped for heavyweight warfare for that bout, but instead we got two guys respecting the others’ power so much they never engaged enough to make anything happen. We are going with “The Predator” Ngannou - who's incredible rise we recently charted - to win by KO. UFC 249 is set after Friday's weigh-ins. Stephens is known for flashy knockouts and exciting fights. Change ). The card is loaded from top to bottom as everyone has had a nice chunk of time to rest, and they are eager to fight. Campbell on why Ferguson will win: While there's certainly an element of unknown because of the unique circumstances surrounding the card's build, Ferguson is still the better fighter with more ways to win. UFC is finally back and it couldn’t have come sooner! His jiu-jitsu, we all know is brilliant, he’ll find a Darce Choke from anywhere. It really isn't a stretch to believe -- as many do -- that this won't go past Round 1 because these two men will be out to make an emphatic statement with the stakes so high. Waterson is the better striker, but I’d give Esparza the edge in wrestling. This UFC update is brought to you by Chris Walker of Top Tier Performance. Former flyweight champion and current bantamweight title holder Cejudo is the favourite for this one. Covering the impact of coronavirus on the sports world. Let's take a closer look at the rest of the card with the latest odds from William Hill Sportsbook. ( Log Out / The ground games likely cancel each other out, but Werdum is a better striker. (All image rights go to their respective companies). Just hours before the weigh-in, Cruz was a bigger underdog. With all due respect to Cejudo, this might not be the best matchup for him if Cruz is 100 percent. Prediction: Gaethje may be the underdog in this fight but quite a few will be backing him to upset the odds. i hope you enjoyed. I had Kattar winning this fight by unanimous decision originally, but when I saw how badly Stephens missed the mark at weigh-ins (4.5 pounds), it made me consider switching this prediction to a TKO victory for Kattar. I think his ability to avoid major strikes may help him win, but I wouldn’t be at all surprised if De Castro was to come away with a victory. JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Aleksei Oleinik of Russia and Fabricio Werdum face ... [+] off during the UFC 249 official weigh-in on May 08, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Ferguson was originally scheduled to meet lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov when the event was scheduled for April 18 in Brooklyn. The 34-year-old is odds-on to overcome Cruz in Saturday’s co-main event. JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - MAY 08: (L-R) Opponents Carla Esparza and Michelle Waterson face off during ... [+] the UFC 249 official weigh-in on May 08, 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. Because Waterson isn’t a major KO threat, I’m not sure she’ll have the kind of sting on her shots that can supersede or stop Esparza from gaining takedowns and top position. He'll have a size advantage on Cejudo and his difficult cadence could cause early trouble. Ngannou has a major edge in reach and when two, big and strong heavyweights like this clash, the result can easily be determined by who finds the mark for their shot first. Yet no one seems to enjoy the teasing danger as much as Ferguson, whose submission skills should give him an edge when the fight hits the ground. There's something weird to this matchup that just leans in Gaethje's favor. Every other fight has been against a series of tomato cans. That doesn't mean it will happen. He'll get the job done quickly as he earns a future title shot, but this also won't be the last we see of Rozenstruik. This allows other fighters to adapt to your style of fighting and to simply make a plan on how to fight against you. His only legitimate competition thus far was Alexander Volkov who defeated him. This fight is as close as can be on paper, but I lean toward Ferguson because his overall mixed martial arts toolbox is deeper. The first breaking down the “undercard” came out earlier this week and can be found on page 3. This one will be more than a tomato can however. Jeremy Stephens is a UFC Fan Favorite and grizzled veteran of 46 fights with more than 75% percent of them coming in the UFC after a 2007 flashy arrival. Let’s take a close look at the entire UFC 249 card with details on odds, Friday’s weigh-in results, and predictions for each fight in bold. Will ‘The Fiend’ Beat Strowman at Money In the Bank? I don’t see a shock here but I won’t be surprised if Gaethje goes at least 20 with Ferguson.
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