Report: UFC’s Plan For How The Fights Will Take Place At UFC 249

The UFC returns to action tonight with UFC 249, which is going to be headlined by former UFC Interim Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson facing former WSOF Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje for the vacant UFC Interim Lightweight Title.

This event is going down during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the UFC reportedly has a plan for how each fight will proceed tonight.

Ariel Helwani of ESPN revealed the news through a series of tweets:

This is how tonight will go down, per sources:

Each fighter will have a designated waiting area at the hotel today. The plan is to have 2 fighters in the cage and two fighters warming up at the arena. Once the fight is over, a new group will leave the hotel to go to the arena…

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 9, 2020

The arena is a mile away from the hotel. Once the fight is over, the 2 fighters who were warming up will then head out to the cage and then the 2 new fighters will warm up. And that system will flow for the entire card to ensure the least amount of people are at the arena.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 9, 2020

This is much different than usual. Usually, the fighters are at the arena at least 2-3 hours before they compete and they can wait in a VIP area in the back until the card is over. Not the case this time.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 9, 2020

UFC 249 takes place tonight from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida with Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.