It has been a bit of a winding road for the past couple of months, but UFC 249 has finally found a home. After the bout was initially cancelled in Brooklyn at the outset of the coronavirus, the UFC tried to host it on tribal grounds in California, only for ESPN to effectively shut it down. With some states now beginning to slowly re-open, the UFC has moved to Florida, where they will set up the Octagon on Saturday night and go at it. There will be no fans in attendance, and word has it that all fighters and trainers will be tested prior to the event. The card looks a little different from what it was originally intended to be, but it is still a solid main card that we have coming. Let’s take a look at one of the bigger fights on the card and their UFC 249 betting odds.
MMA UFC 249 Cruz vs Cejudo
Breakdown of Cruz Vs Cejudo
Bantamweight champ Henry Cejudo was always listed as part of this event, but he was initially scheduled to fight Jose Aldo. Travel restrictions have made it impossible for Aldo to travel stateside, so it will be Dominick Cruz who steps into the octagon to face the champ.
Cruz may be listed as a fill-in or this fight, but the 2-time former champion is going to be a handful for Cejudo from the off. There are some concerns about potential ring rustiness given that he has not stepped into the octagon since back in December 2016. That event was UFC 207 and was the night that Cruz lost his belt to Cody Garbrandt. It has certainly not been a lack of willingness to fight that has kept Cruz out of action, but rather untimely injuries that have slowed down his return. Cruz comes in with an excellent 22-2 career record and has some experience with fighting after a long layoff, so he certainly cannot be counted out.
Cejudo is coming into this fight on a hot streak of form, winning 5 in a row to take his career mark to 15-2. The champ has made a habit of taking down former champions, which is really what needs to be done to get to the top of the bantamweight division. This is arguably the strongest division that the UFC has to offer, with every fight being a bit of a coin flip. Cejudo is adept at winning fights by whatever means necessary, with his wins almost evenly spit between KO’s and submissions. It is that versatility that makes him so very dangerous.
Fight Odds and Prediction
Given the circumstances and the recent history of these two fighters, it is perhaps no real surprise that Cejudo is in as the favorite at odds of -235. If you think that Cruz can come in and win the belt for the 3rd time in his career, you can get him at odds of +195. For me, my money will be going the way of the champion, as I think he wears down Cruz and comes away with the win in the later rounds.
