The UFC has found its main event for UFC 249. Justin Gaethje will step up on short notice to face Tony Ferguson for the interim lightweight championship. The fight was being worked on by the UFC, since last week. The news was announced Twitter by UFC President Dana White yesterday.
The fight is signed and is 100% ON LIVE on ESPN somewhere on EARTH!!!! 😃@TonyFergusonXT vs @Justin_Gaethje is LIVE on @espn+ PPV April 18th for the interim lightweight belt! pic.twitter.com/aH44zg5K30
— danawhite (@danawhite) April 6, 2020
Ferguson will fight for the interim lightweight championship for the second time. He defeated Kevin Lee by submission to win the championship at UFC 216 on October 7, 2017. The original main event of UFC 249 was supposed to be the long-awaited fight between Ferguson and lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight championship. However, miscommunication on the location of the event between the UFC and Nurmagomeov resulted in Nurmagomeodv not being able to fight. Ferguson is on a 12 fight win streak and will look to defeat Gaethje, with the hope of fighting Nurmagomedov later this year.
Gaethje has been campaigning to fight Nurmgaomedov for the lightweight championship since last year. When the UFC decided to go with Nurmagomedov vs Ferguson at UFC 249, Gaethje was trying to fight Conor McGregor to be the number one contender. Now with Nurmagomedov out, Gaethje will have his opportunity to be a UFC champion and a chance to fight Nurmagomedov. Gaethje is on a three-fight win streak, with his last win being a TKO victory over Donald Cerrone at UFC Fight Night 158 on September 14, 2019.
UFC 249 is planned for April 18, but the UFC doesn’t have a set location. There are also questions of officiating, health concerns, travel concerns, etc that may become an issue. The UFC and White have been adamant that UFC 249 will happen no matter what. Getting the main event of UFC 249 official is their first step towards making the event a reality.