UFC 249 is set to take place this weekend at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The 12-fight card, initially planned for April, has been rescheduled for Saturday, May 9 and will take place without any spectators.
The event kicks off with early prelims at 3:30 pm (PDT). Given the scarcity of live major professional sports to bet on, UFC 249 is expected to generate more excitement than usual among bettors. After all, there’s only so much someone can wager on table tennis and esports.
The four existing sports betting apps in Nevada all offer odds for the fight. Furthermore, the Westgate Superbook intends to launch its sports betting app in time for UFC 249, despite its physical casino still being closed.
UFC 249 is set to present a packed card, headlined by the main event between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje, vying for the interim lightweight title. Another key match to watch out for is the clash between bantamweight Henry Cejudo and ex-champion Dominick Cruz.
Betting UFC 249
Last week, William Hill became the first sportsbook in Nevada to provide odds on UFC 249. The international sportsbook operator not only offers odds on individual fights but also over/under odds for each match. The company also plans to provide in-play wagering for each fight.
The opening odds have shifted due to a week of people placing bets, but it will still provide a view of the entire card:
Apart from individual fight odds, Caesars also offers prop bets to predict the exact round in which certain fights will end. They also provide 7-way prop bets on the specific outcomes of those fights.
BetMGM provides matchup odds for the full card and offers more prop bets than any other sports betting app in Nevada. Like Caesars, BetMGM also offers round betting and method of victory bets. However, these options are available for most fights happening this Saturday.
Also, the BetMGM app offers the total rounds per fight and an option to bet Yes/No on whether each fight will go the distance.
At present, Circa Sports is the only platform offering odds for each fight. As of the time this article was written, the Westgate SuperBook app has not yet posted any fight odds.
How To Watch UFC 249
UFC 249 will essentially be an all-day event. With bars, restaurants, and casinos in Nevada being closed, the only available options to view the card are through television or online.
- Starting from 3:30 pm (PDT), the early prelims can be viewed on UFC Fight Pass.
- Starting at 5 pm (PDT), the regular prelims will be accessible on ESPN and ESPN+.
- The primary card is set to start at 7 pm (PDT) and can be accessed via ESPN+ Pay Per View.
More UFC Fight Nights Coming Very Soon
UFC 249 kicks off an extremely hectic week for UFC. Dana White has already revealed plans for two additional UFC cards happening soon after this weekend’s fights.
Anthony Smith will face Glover Teixeira on UFC Fight Night scheduled for May 13. The co-main event will feature Ovince Saint Preux’s heavyweight debut against Ben Rothwell. The card also includes the following fights:
- Drew Dober vs Alex Hernandez
- Ray Borg vs Ricky Simon
- Marvin Vettori vs Karl Roberson
- Philipe Lins vs Andrei Arlovski
- Thiago Moises vs Michael Johnson
- Sarah Moras vs Sijara Eubanks
- Brian Kelleher vs Hunter Azure
The UFC Fight Night scheduled for May 16 will showcase a heavyweight bout between Walt Harris and Alistair Overeem. A strawweight clash between Claudia Gadelha and Angela Hill will also be highlighted. Additional fights on the card consist of:
- Edson Barboza vs Dan Ige
- Krzysztof Jotko vs Eryk Anders
- Marlon Vera vs Song Yadong
- Kevin Holland vs Anthony Hernandez
- Giga Chikadze vs Mike Davis
- Mara Romero Borella vs Cortney Casey
- Nate Landwehr vs Darren Elkins
- Don’Tale Mayes vs Rodrigo Nascimento
