The UFC made its return on Saturday with UFC 249, which took place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena | Jacksonville, Fla., with a main card that aired on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+.
Two thrilling championship bouts capped the event. Justin Gaethje (22-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) claimed interim lightweight gold with a fifth-round TKO of Tony Ferguson (25-4 MMA, 15-2 UFC) in the main event, while Henry Cejudo (16-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) finished Dominick Cruz (22-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC) to defend his bantamweight belt then retired in the co-headliner.
There was much more of note on the card, too. For more on the numbers, check below for 50 post-event facts to come out of UFC 249.
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General
The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $305,500.
Ferguson and Francis Ngannou earned $50,000 UFC 249 fight-night bonuses. Gaethje received two bonuses for $100,000.
UFC 249 drew an announced attendance of zero for a live gate of $0.
Betting favorites went 9-2 on the card.
Betting favorites fell to 5-4 in UFC headliners this year.
Total fight time for the 11-bout card was 2:25:23.
Main card
Justin Gaethje
Gaethje became the first in MMA history to win titles in UFC and WSOF.
Gaethje has earned 20 of his 22 career victories by stoppage. That includes all five of his UFC wins.
Gaethje is the only fighter in UFC history to win at least one fight-night bonus in each of his first seven octagon appearances.
Gaethje has been awarded nine fight-night bonuses in seven UFC appearances.
Gaethje’s nine UFC fight-night bonuses since 2017 are most of any fighter in the company.
Ferguson had his 12-fight winning streak snapped for his first defeat since May 2012.
Ferguson suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Ferguson has been awarded a fight-night bonus in eight of his past nine UFC appearances.
Cejudo became the second fighter in UFC history to record successful title defenses in two weight classes. Daniel Cormier also accomplished the feat.
Henry Cejudo
Cejudo improved to 7-0 in bantamweight competition during his career.
Cejudo has landed at least one takedown in all but one of his UFC fights where he’s attempted a takedown.
Cruz suffered consecutive losses for the first time in his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2016.
Cruz suffered the first knockout loss of his career.
Francis Ngannou
Ngannou’s (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.
Ngannou has earned all 15 of his career victories by stoppage. That includes all 10 of his UFC wins.
Ngannou has earned his past four victories by knockout in a combined 2:42 of cage time.
Ngannou’s 10 stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC competition are tied with Thiago Santos and Charles Oliveira for most in the company.
Ngannou’s 10 stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC heavyweight competition are most in the division
Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) had his 10-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Calvin Kattar (21-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) has earned all four of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.
Jeremy Stephens (28-18 MMA, 15-17 UFC) fell to 8-9 (with one no contest) since he dropped to the UFC featherweight division in May 2013.
Stephens’ 17 losses in UFC competition are the most in company history.
Greg Hardy (6-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) earned the first decision victory of his career.
Yorgan De Castro (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) had his six-fight winning streak snapped for the first defeat of his career.
Preliminary card
Anthony Pettis
Anthony Pettis (23-10 MMA, 10-9 UFC) improved to 2-1 since he moved up to the UFC welterweight division in March 2019.
Pettis improved to 5-8 in his past 13 UFC appearances dating back to when he lost the UFC lightweight title in March 2015.
Donald Cerrone’s (36-15 MMA, 23-12 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since May 2019.
Aleksei Oleinik (59-13-1 MMA, 8-4 UFC) earned his first decision victory since Aug. 26, 2010 – a span of 3,544 days (nearly 10 years) and 25 fights.
Fabricio Werdum (23-9-1 MMA, 11-6 UFC) fell to 9-4 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2012.
Werdum has suffered six of his nine career losses by decision.
Carla Esparza (16-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) improved to 6-3 since losing the UFC strawweight title to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in March 2015.
Esparza’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Jedrzejczyk (10).
Esparza has earned six of her seven UFC victories by decision.
Esparza has completed at least one takedown against 10 of her 11 UFC opponents.
Esparza’s 34 takedowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are most in divisional history.
Michelle Waterson (17-8 MMA, 5-4 UFC) has suffered three of her four UFC losses by decision.
Vicente Luque
Vicente Luque (18-7-1 MMA, 11-3 UFC) has earned 16 of his 18 career victories by stoppage. That includes 10 of his 11 UFC wins.
Luque’s 10 stoppage victories since 2015 in UFC welterweight competition are most in the division during that span.
Luque’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC welterweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Matt Brown (13) and Matt Hughes (12).
Niko Price (14-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past six fights.
Price has suffered all four of his career losses by stoppage.
Bryce Mitchell (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) has earned three of his four UFC victories by decision.
Charles Rosa (12-4 MMA, 3-4 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his past eight fights.
Rosa has suffered three of his four career losses by decision.
Ryan Spann’s (18-5 MMA, 4-0 UFC) four-fight UFC winning streak at light heavyweight is tied with Jon Jones and Magomed Ankalaev for the longest active streak in the division.
Sam Alvey’s (33-14 MMA, 10-9 UFC) four-fight losing skid is the longest of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since June 2018.
Alvey fell to 2-4 since he moved up to the UFC light-heavyweight division in February 2018.
Alvey has suffered 10 of his 14 career losses by decision.
UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.
