Join us today on Bloody Elbow for live results, discussion, round scoring, and play-by-play as UFC 249 goes down in the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
The main event will be an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. The co-main is for a belt too, with Henry Cejudo putting up his bantamweight title against former champ Dominick Cruz, who returns after three-year layoff.
This post will cover the bantamweight title fight, which came about on short notice due to original challenger Jose Aldo being stuck in Brazil due to the coronavirus pandemic. Cruz hasn’t picked up a win in the Octagon since a 2016 decision victory over Urijah Faber. Cejudo successfully defended his title last June, taking out Marlon Moraes. He is currently on a five-fight win streak, that involved winning the UFC flyweight title along the way as well.
Main Card (10pm ET)
Henry Cejudo vs. Dominick Cruz
Round 1 – Cejudo with a leg kick. Cruz returns one. They trade again. Cejudo is kicking hard. Jab from Cruz. Cruz almost catches a low kick. Cruz with a high kick that’s blocked. Cruz with a step-in knee but Cejudo throws him to the mat. Cruz scrambled away immediately. Cejudo kicks the back leg now. Both throw front kicks. Cruz lands to the body. So does Cejudo. Cejudo wades in with a two-punch combo. Inside leg kick from Cejudo. They both connect with long punches. Cruz with a leg kick. Cejudo with his own. 10-9 Cejudo.
Round 2 – Cruz with a head kick and a long right. Both land low kicks. Body kick from Cejudo. Cruz lands a fast inside leg kick. Another from Cruz. Cejudo responds. Cejudo wades in with a right. And another. Inside leg kick from Cejudo, close to the cup. They both land punches. Cejudo misses with a head kick. Cejudo with a left hook. Cruz with a hard right, his best shot of the fight. Cejudo goes back to the low kicks. They brawl inside and they both land. Body kick from Cejudo and a nice right hook. Another inside leg kick from Cejudo, but Cruz lands the same thing right back. Cruz shoots and gets stuffed, but he lands a left. Lots of feinting from Dom. They clashed heads, and Cejudo is cut. The doctor is in. The cut is in the hairline, so they’ll continue. Cruz starts with a right on the restart. Cejudo with a big knee and Cruz is hurt! Cejudo is all over him with punches and it’s over! Could be an early stoppage. Yikes.
Henry Cejudo defeated Dominick Cruz via TKO (strikes), 4:58 of round 2
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