JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kicks, punches and grunts echoed by means of the empty area. Coaches, commentators and digicam clicks resonated like by no means earlier than. Blood, sweat, swollen eyelids and face masks signaled the return of UFC, the primary main sporting occasion to renew for the reason that coronavirus shuttered a lot of the nation for practically two months.
UFC 249 ushered in a brand new search for sports activities, too. One with out followers and amid a number of security precautions.
It was undoubtedly totally different — two fighters adjusted their approaches due to what they heard announcers say — and a welcome reprieve for a sports-craved nation that went practically eight weeks with none dwell occasions.
Almost 5 hours after President Trump congratulated UFC for restarting the sports activities world, Justin Gaethje surprised closely favored Tony Ferguson (26-4) in the principle occasion, incomes a TKO within the fifth and last spherical of the headliner that was deemed an interim light-weight title bout. It primarily offers Gaethje (22-2) the precise to battle titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov subsequent. Nurmagomedov was unable to battle this weekend due to journey restrictions.
Gaethje flipped himself out of the octagon and again in after the victory after which screamed repeatedly.
“I need the true one,” he mentioned as he threw down the interim belt.
The stacked battle card noticed 33-year-old Henry Cejudo, with blood gushing from his brow and operating down his chest, defend his bantamweight title towards Dominick Cruz after which announce his retirement in the midst of the octagon. It additionally included heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou pummel one other opponent, former NFL defensive finish Greg Hardy, to win for the sixth time in eight fights and former welterweight champion and fan favourite Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone lose his fourth straight.
Trump was a part of the occasion as nicely. His taped message was performed throughout ESPN’s broadcast of the undercard.
“I need to congratulate (UFC President) Dana White and the UFC,” Trump mentioned. “They’re going to have a giant match. We like it. We predict it’s vital. Get the sports activities leagues again. Let’s play. Do the social distancing and no matter else you must do. We want sports activities. We wish our sports activities again.”
UFC 249 was initially scheduled for April 18 in New York, however was postponed in hopes of serving to sluggish the unfold of COVID-19.
The combined martial arts behemoth will maintain three reveals in eight days in Jacksonville, the place state officers deemed skilled sports activities with a nationwide viewers exempt from a stay-at-home order so long as the placement is closed to the general public.
The UFC got here up with a 25-page doc to deal with well being and security protocols, procedures that led to Jacaré Souza testing constructive for COVID-19 on Friday. His middleweight bout towards Uriah Corridor was canceled that evening. Souza’s two cornermen additionally examined as constructive, the UFC mentioned.
All three males left the host lodge to self-isolate elsewhere, the place UFC’s medical crew will monitor their circumstances remotely and supply help with obligatory remedies.
The constructive outcomes absolutely elevated the deal with the occasion. Each different sport is watching carefully to see the way it performs out.
White didn’t need to postpone any fights. He tried to host the occasion on tribal land in California and nonetheless hopes to create a “Battle Island” for future playing cards.
He settled for Jacksonville for at the least every week — with out followers and with social-distancing guidelines in place.
Judges and broadcasters labored from separate tables. Fighters, trainers, referees, judges, UFC employees and even outdoors media needed to bear COVID-19 testing to get inside Veterans Memorial Area.
Lots of these in attendance Saturday wore masks and gloves, though a number of have been seemingly exempt from the mandate. Referees, ring announcer Bruce Buffer, different officers contained in the octagon and the ring lady have been unmasked. Play-by-play commentator Joe Rogan, who initially was purported to interview winners remotely, ended up doing them contained in the octagon.
The cage ground was disinfected between bouts, and the padded components of the octagon have been wiped down between rounds.
With out followers, although, sounds that normally can be muted or fully drowned out stuffed the desolate area. Fighters mentioned it affected their bouts. Hardy and Carla Esparza mentioned they altered their strategy after listening to commentators throughout early rounds.
“It’s exhausting to evaluate with out the group,” Anthony Pettis mentioned after beating Cerrone in a wild welterweight battle. “After I land stuff, I hear the group and comprehend it was a very good one. This time, there was no crowd. I noticed his head pop, however there was nothing behind it, so it’s exhausting to inform.”
Additionally on the cardboard:
— Cejudo (16-2) caught Cruz (22-3) with a proper knee to the face that despatched him reeling to the canvas. Cejudo then delivered practically a dozen unanswered blows earlier than the referee stopped it. Cruz argued it by no means ought to have been known as as a result of he was working to get again on his toes. Cejudo surprisingly ended his profession a couple of minutes later, saying he desires to spend extra time together with his household.
— Ngannou knocked out fellow heavyweight Jairzinho Rozenstruik in 20 seconds. Ngannou rushed Rozenstruik and delivered a flurry of blows that left Rozenstruik so woozy he had bother stepping into his slides lengthy after the battle ended. It was Ngannou’s fourth consecutive victory totaling lower than Three minutes within the octagon.
— Calvin Kattar (21-4) stopped Jeremy Stephens (28-18) within the second spherical after consecutive elbow blows, one standing and one other on the bottom.
— Hardy (6-2) celebrated a unanimous resolution over Yorgan De Castro (6-1) in a heavyweight bout.
— “Showtime” Pettis (23-10) beat Cerrone (36-15) in an unanimous resolution. Pettis and Cerrone final fought in 2013. Pettis gained that one as nicely. Cerrone has dropped 4 in a row, together with losses to Conor McGregor, Gaethje and Ferguson.
— Aleksei “The Boa Constrictor” Oleinik (59-13-1) beat Fabricio Werdum (23-9-1) in a heavyweight bout that includes a pair of 42-year-olds. It was a cut up resolution that included extra toe-to-toe blows than floor grappling.
— Carla Esparza (16-6) edged Michelle “Karate Hottie” Waterson (17-8) in a cut up resolution. It was Esparza’s third straight victory within the straw-weight division.
— Vicente Luque (18-7-1) gained for the seventh time in eight fights when he beat Niko Value (14-4) in a massacre. The battle was dominated a TKO within the third spherical after Value developed a nasty lower above his proper eye. Luque was forward on all three playing cards when it was known as.
— Featherweight Bryce Mitchell (13-1) defeated fellow grappler Charles Rosa (12-4) in a unanimous resolution.
— Spann (18-5) prolonged his successful streak to eight by beating veteran Sam Alvey (33-14) in a cut up resolution.
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