UFC 249: Main Card Predictions
- MMA News Now
- May 8, 2020
- 4 min read
By: Eagle Andersen
The UFC finally returns May 9th with one of the most anticipated cards that the company has ever put on! Here are our predictions for the main card!
I am going to briefly breakdown each of these bouts and give you the most likely winner based their history. Each MMA News Now team member will also be offering their predictions.
Yorgan De Castro (6-0) v Greg Hardy (5-2-1)
Although every single one of the of prelim fights is more deserving of a main-card placement than this bout, it could be an intriguing clash.
The intrigue comes in with the likelihood of an early finish. De Castro has five wins on his record due to either TKO or KO. On top of that, four of those finishes came in the first round. When you combine his knockout ability with Greg Hardy's, it is likely that we see an early win. For the MMA fans that have somehow not heard of Greg Hardy, they will be in for a treat. What Hardy lacks in technicality, he makes up for in bloodthirsty ferocity. This is a pick-em fight that will most-likely end early on.
Jeremy Stephens (28-17-1) v Calvin Kattar (20-4)
Considering the pace that and work ethic of both of these guys, we should be looking at a very entertaining bout in the featherweight division.
When considering the implications that a win can have for either of these guys, the fight just becomes that much more interesting. Kattar is one of the brightest up-and-comers at 145 lbs. but a second straight loss could see him fall back down the rankings taking him away from the main-event scene for the foreseeable future.
Stephens definitely seems to be past his best days in the octagon. He has fell down the totem poll lately and at 33 years old, he may be on the way out fairly soon. With this being said, he is a veteran of the game and will always have the chance of catching an opponent with a hard blow and finishing a fight instantly.
Francis Ngannou (14-3) v Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-0)
This fight includes two of the best knockout artists in the history of UFC heavyweight division. eight of Ngannou's nine UFC wins came in the first round stoppage. Ngannou is the hardest hitter in the history of the UFC and will walk into the cage on Saturday looking for an early stoppage as per usual.
Much like Ngannou, Rozenstruik has tremendous power in his hands and has an affinity knockout wins as well. This has been proven in all of his MMA bouts except for one decision in 2018. Most recently, Rozenstruik split Alistair Overeem's lip in two with one of the most brutal knockouts in heavyweight history during the fifth round of their December meeting. Rozenstruik is an experienced kickboxer with over 80 bouts and will be looking to wait Francis out and secure the win with his superior technical striking.
In typical Francis fashion, Ngannou will be looking to come out guns a blazing searching for an early knockout. It will be interesting to see how his cardio holds up if the fight moves past the first round.
Henry Cejudo (15-2) [C] v Dominick Cruz (22-2)
Although Henry Cejudo has had a stellar past three years filled with awe-inspiring upsets, he may finally be dethroned come May 9th. With Henry's Olympic level wrestling and new-found knockout touch, competing with Cruz's dazzling footwork and expert IQ the possibillities are limitless. With that being said I think that this fight will come down to one deciding factor.
Does Dominick Cruz still have "it"?
On May 9th, if we see the Dominick Cruz that took out out Urijah Faber and Demtrious Johnson, I think we see him regain the 135 lbs. strap for the third time. Even if it is the same Cruz that was outclassed by Garbrandt, I think he can still get it done. Cruz should be able to use his footwork and length advantage to evade takedown attempts from Cejudo. If Cruz keeps it standing, he should be able to pick Cejudo apart unless a Cejudo can land a bomb. If Cruz isn't as effective as he has been in the past and ring rust plays a factor, look to see Cejudo dominate the dominator, and escape the cage with a one-sided decision or a finish.
Tony Ferguson (25-3) v Justin Gaethje (21-2)
This fight has all the makings of an all-time-classic.
Both of these guys are fan-favourites for good reason. Gaethje has been on a hot-streak lately and has seemed poised to continue his fearless offensive onslaughts. Tony is one of the most unorthodox athletes on the planet in both the way he trains and the way he fights.
Neither of these competitors are capable of having a boring fight. Both of them are riding a ton of momentum coming into Saturday which should mean that they both enter the cage extremely confident and ready to take some risks. This is one of the most unpredictable match-ups in the history of not just the UFC, but the entire sport of MMA. Expect a fight for the ages, be cautious when betting either way.
Team Predictions:
Eagle's (@AndersenEagle) Picks | 4-1-0:
G. Hardy
C. Kattar
F. Ngannou
D. Cruz
T. Ferguson
Mason's Picks | 1-4-0:
G. Hardy
C. Kattar
F. Ngannou
D. Cruz
J. Gaethje
Buck's (@Nerd_MMA) Picks | 4-1-0:
G. Hardy
C. Kattar
J. Rozenstruik
H. Cejudo
T. Ferguson
Unger's (@UngerJos) Picks | 3-2-0:
G. Hardy
C. Kattar
F. Ngannou
D. Cruz
J. Gaethje
Aiden's (@DownToTheWire6) Picks | 2-3-0:
G. Hardy
C. Kattar
F. Ngannou
H. Cejudo
J. Gaethje
Twitter Polls:
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