UFC 249 still on, highlighted by 2 title fights

A hurdle in the way of the UFC was thrown on Friday night that could have forced the event to be canceled, but the show is still running as the promotion prepares to restart major sports in America in less-than-ideal circumstances.

This is how you can see the UFC tonight.

Start time, networks and transmission services

• Early preliminaries: 6 p.m. ET on ESPN + and UFC Fight Pass (subscription required for both)
• Mid-tier preliminaries: 8 pm ET on ESPN + (subscription required) and ESPN
• Main PPV card – 10 pm ET on ESPN + Pay-Per-View

Jacare Souza and Two Cornermen tested positive on COVID-19

The Jacare Souza-Uriah Hall fight ends after the first and two of their cornerbacks tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement the UFC provided me.

Souza informed the UFC that he may have been exposed to a relative with the disease when he arrived at the hotel in Florida this week. At the time, he was reportedly isolated in his room until the weigh-ins where he showed up wearing a mask and gloves to successfully gain weight and pose for a socially distant showdown with Hall.

Souza and the two cornerbacks were immediately removed from the hotel, and according to the UFC statement, all other fighters on the card tested negative for COVID-19.

The title fights

In the co-main event, UFC men’s bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo will take on former two-time champion Dominick Cruz.

Just a few hours before the start of the first preliminaries, Cejudo was installed as a favorite to win -202, and Cruz, who has not fought in nearly four years when he lost his title to Cody Garbrandt, is a +172 underdog, according to BetOnline.

I spoke favorably about Cruz’s chances of overcoming the discomfort and making history by becoming the only three-time UFC bantamweight champion. However, Cruz’s sharpness and the robustness of his surgically repaired knee will likely be the barometer of his performance in this fight.

In the main event, Tony Ferguson battles Justin Gaethje for the UFC Interim Lightweight Championship. Originally Ferguson was supposed to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the undisputed 155-pound title, but for the fifth time, this matchup was canceled when the latter was unable to leave his country due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Gaethje stepped forward to replace Nurmagomedov, and the confrontation is tantalizing. There may not be two more fan-friendly artists in the sport. If this junk lives up to expectations, it will take home the honors of Fight of the Night.

Let’s take a look at the entire revised card, without Souza-Hall.

The rest of the card

Here is a look at the entire card with weighing results. Note: Jeremy Stephens was the only fighter who lost weight, hence the asterisk. They will take away 30% of your money and hand it over to your opponent Calvin Kattar.

• Tony Ferguson (155) vs. Justin Gaethje (155)
• Henry Cejudo (135) vs. Dominick Cruz (135)
• Francis Ngannou (261.5) against Jairzinho Rozenstruik (260)
• Jeremy Stephens (150.5) * vs. Calvin Kattar (146)
• Greg Hardy (265.5) against Yorgan De Castro (262)
• Anthony Pettis (170.5) vs. Donald Cerrone (171)
• Fabricio Werdum (243) vs. Alexey Oleynik (227.5)
• Carla Esparza (115.5) against Michelle Waterson (115)
• Vicente Luque (170) vs Niko Price (170.5)
• Charles Rosa (146) vs. Bryce Mitchell (145.5)
• Ryan Spann (206) vs. Sam Alvey (205)

Stay tuned for more postgame recaps and reactions to bonus-winning individual performances, as well as a breakdown of the results after the event at the end of UFC 249.