Update: May 10, 2020 – The prelims have started. The prelims are free on ESPN, the main card you need to order ESPN+, details below.
Update: May 9, 2020 – We have updated the article to show that one of the matches for UFC 249 has been taken off the card, due to one of the fighters, Ronaldo Souza, testing positive for COVID-19.
The coronavirus outbreak sure did a number to our social lives. It shut down restaurants, businesses, and disrupted the way we worked and educated our children. It also messed with pretty much every major sporting event. Looking to get your sports fix with something new to watch? After several delays, UFC 249 is finally on its way to ESPN Plus on Saturday, May 9.
After an abortive attempt to hold UFC 249 in an American Indian reservation in California was canceled, UFC head Dana White and the organization started looking for another place to hold the event. Barring any other last-minute delays, you’ll be able to watch UFC 249, where it will be streaming from Jacksonville, Florida.
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Times for the matches
The main card will begin in the US at 10 pm EST via the ESPN Plus streaming service. The preliminary card will begin at 8 pm EST and will be shown on the regular ESPN cable TV channel and ESPN Plus. The early prelim card fights will begin at 6:15 pm and will be available on ESPN, ESPN Plus, and the UFC Fight Pass streaming service.
In the UK the event will happen mostly on Sunday, May 10. The main card will begin at 3 am GMT. The preliminary card will begin at 1 am GMT. The early prelim card fights will begin at 11:15 pm GMT on Saturday night.
In Australia, the event will happen on Sunday, May 10. The main card will begin at 12 pm AEDT. The preliminary card will begin at 10 am AEDT. The early prelim card fights will begin at t 8:15 a.m. AEDT.
Current UFC 249 card of matches
Here’s the current lineup of matches for the main card of UFC 249:
- Lightweight – Tony Ferguson vs. Justin Gaethje
- Bantamweight – Henry Cejudo (c) vs. Dominick Cruz
- Heavyweight – Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik
- Featherweight – Jeremy Stephens vs. Calvin Kattar
- Heavyweight – Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan de Castro
The preliminary card for UFC 249 will be as follows:
- Welterweight – Donald Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis
- Heavyweight – Aleksei Oleinik vs. FabrÃcio Werdum
- Women’s Strawweight – Carla Esparza vs. Michelle WatersonÂ
The early prelim card for the event will be as follows:
- Welterweight – Vicente Luque vs. Niko Price
- Featherweight – Bryce Mitchell vs. Charles Rosa
- Light Heavyweight – Ryan Spann vs. Sam Alvey
One of the matches that was previously scheduled for the preliminary card has now been pulled at the last minute. The Middleweight match between Uriah Hall and Ronaldo Souza will not happen due to Souza, and two of his cornermen, testing positive for COVID-19. All of the other fighters have tested negative for the virus, and the decision was made to continue with the UFC 2019 event.
The event itself will be held at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. While the venue seats 15,000 people, there will be no fans at the physical location.
Here’s how to watch UFC 249
The main card for UFC 249 is exclusive to ESPN Plus. So first you’ll have to sign up for ESPN Plus for $4.99 a month, or for $49.99 for an annual subscription. Unfortunately, there’s a bit more to it than that. To watch UFC 249 you’ll also need to pay for the pay-per-view match, which costs $65. That said, there is a better option.
ESPN Plus is offering a special UFC Bundle. For $84.95, you get an annual subscription to the service, plus access to one UFC PPV event, like the upcoming UFC 249 match. You will save 25% overall with this bundle deal.Â
ESPN Plus offers more for UFC fans than just access to its biggest matches. It also offers live streams of UFC press conferences, replays of the major matches, talk shows, and original UFC-themed series. And of course, there are plenty of other sports events beyond just UFC and mixed martial arts.
The preliminary card will be shown on both ESPN Plus and the regular ESPN cable TV channel. The early prelims will be shown on ESPN, ESPN Plus, and the UFC Fight Pass streaming service, which costs $9.99 a month for $99.99 for an annual subscription. The service also has lots of other UFC content, including original series and the entire UFC fight library to browse and watch. Though we highly recommend ESPN+, especially if you are interested in other sporting events outside of UFC.