In-Depth UFC 249 Breakdown: Khabib Nurmagomedov Vs. Justin Gaethje
1. Verdict
We mentioned earlier on in this breakdown that this is an incredibly tough fight for Tony Ferguson. Not only is Gaethje a completely different style match-up than what he was preparing for, he also has absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain in this bout. As a fighter, he's been given the rare opportunity to throw everything he has at his opponent and without really having to worry about losing his spot.
That being said, there are too many questions regarding Gaethje going into this fight. Was he in training already? What's his weight look like? How prepared is he actually? Has he been tested for COVID-19 before signing the contract? While we're sure that he's going to step inside the Octagon and put on a hell of a show against Ferguson, there are too many unknown variables that make it difficult to pick him as the winner.
Not to mention, he's facing a prime and extremely ready Tony Ferguson who seems destined to face Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC title at some point. With everything stacked against Gaethje and Ferguson having such an incredible skill-set, we have to go with El Cucuy coming out on top.
Verdict: Tony Ferguson via TKO