The UFC has never had the national spotlight like it will on Saturday. The coronavirus pandemic has largely shut down the American economy and took with it the stretch run of the NBA and NHL seasons, the entire NCAA basketball tournament, boxing and the start of the Major League Baseball season.
The UFC hasn’t held a show since March 14 in an empty arena in Brasilia, Brazil.
UFC 249 was originally slated to be in Brooklyn, New York, on April 18, but because New York was the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S., the event was moved. The UFC attempted to go to Tachi Palace on tribal land in Lemore, California, on that date, but intense political opposition led ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro to ask UFC president Dana White to postpone the event.
But when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared the WWE an essential business not long after the UFC’s postponement of the Tachi Palace show, it opened the door for White to take his now-loaded event to Florida. – Kevin Iole
Full UFC 249 fight card
Main event (10 p.m. ET, ESPN Pay-Per-View)
Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje
Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz
Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar
Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro
UFC 249 prelims (LIVE now on ESPN)
Anthony Pettis vs. Donald Cerrone
Aleksei Oleink vs. Fabricio Werdum
Carla Esparza vs. Michelle Waterson
Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price
Early prelims results
Bryce Mitchell def. Charles Rosa via unanimous decision (30-25 x 2, 30-24)
Ryan Span def. Sam Alvey via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
UFC 249 live results, updates and highlights
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