The UFC is committed to returning sports back and it has set May 9 as its official return. The organization announced a deep pay-per-view lineup featuring two championship bouts.
In the main event is Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje and the co-main features Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz.
Our #UFC249 co-main event!
— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2020@DominickCruz returns to face the bantamweight king – @HenryCejudo! pic.twitter.com/sr0Bigkhj6
The location and venue as reported Thursday are that UFC 249 will take place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.
On Friday, the UFC confirmed the location and venue not just for UFC 249 but also for two more cards slated for May 13 and May 16.
Talk about a way to open a main card!
— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2020#UFC249 pic.twitter.com/cOtFZi0Y25
“I can’t wait to deliver some great fights for the fans,” UFC president Dana White said in a statement. “I want to give a big thanks to Mayor Curry, VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena and Florida State Boxing Commission executive director Patrick Cunningham for getting this thing done and giving us a venue to put on these incredible cards.
“My team is ready to go, and the fighters are excited to get back in there with these back-to-back events.”
Fight of the Year contenders are on the PRELIMS!
— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2020#UFC249 pic.twitter.com/sdMIIhgRio
This marks the UFC’s third attempt at making UFC 249 happen. The event originally was scheduled for April 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y., but Barclays Center quickly became off-limits once New York Governor Andrew Cuomo banned mass gatherings.
Next, the UFC tried to host the event on April 18 on tribal land at Tachi Palace Casino Resort near Fresno, California. However, the current stay-at-home order and a call from Gov. Gavin Newsome to Disney/ESPN, shut that down.
WHAT A CARD!
— UFC (@ufc) April 24, 2020