Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje
10th May 05:15hrs
UFC – USA – UFC 249
Pick Ferguson 2 Round Betting
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 13/2 odds taken 21:39 GMT, Thursday 7 May
UFC 249 finally gets to go ahead on the weekend. One of the headline bouts is Tony Ferguson v Justin Gaethje. The latter is a replacement for Khabib Nurmagomedov in what would have been a title fight. Ferguson goes into the bout as the outright favourite.
Table of Contents
Ferguson to reveal as favourite
An interesting duel between two very resilient fighters will go down on the weekend. This is UFC 249 which is happening behind closed doors.
Ferguson was initially lined up to meet UFC Lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov as the headliner of UFC 249.
But the Russian is currently under lockdown in Russia because of COVID-19. That was the fifth time that a bout between them had to get postponed for one reason or another.
So now things have turned around for T-Ferg who starts this one as the favourite. This will be the second time that Ferguson has had a shot at the interim championship in the lightweight division.
Furguson is on a hot streak at the moment. It is a remarkable 12 bout winning streak that he finds himself on. It has been eight years since he lost in the octagon.
Ferguson was last in action in early June last year. He destroyed Donald Cerrone in that fight, the fight being stopped in the second.
That took him onto a 25-3 career record, twelve of those coming from a knockout.
The defence of Ferguson could slightly tip the balance in his favour here.
He is superb at staying on feet. But he is also very good on the mat and even though Gaethje is a superb wrestler, Ferguson could have an advantage down low.
Explosive Gaethje can give Ferguson a scare
Justin Gaethje is not going to be a pushover of course. He is exciting and one of the best wrestlers around. But that is not a weapon that he uses.
He likes to get in there and pound things out with fists and knees.
He is explosively rapid with his attacks and his stats are around 55% accuracy with blows thrown. He is just a runaway train at times in offence and that does leave his defensive game wide open.
Whenever Gatetje gets in the octagon, you know he is going to get hit. He barely has any defence against strikes, just because he is concentrating on getting his own off.
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You hear the old saying that offence is the best form of defence. That’s basically all that Gaetjhe knows, so much so that his wrestling doesn’t even remain a factor.
But that says a lot about Gaethje. He, like Ferguson, can take a pounding and still keep in the game.
It is a three-match winning streak for Gaethje, the latest being a TKO against Donald Cerrone in September last year. Gaethje holds a 21-2 record with 18 knockouts.
Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje Betting Advice
Gaethje has the strike power, no question to get at Ferguson. The knockout record of Gaethje in the UFC is superb, and he has finished each of his last three fights in the first round.
Key Facts – Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje Betting Tip
- Tony Ferguson is 25-3 in his career
- Tony Ferguson is unbeaten in 12 matches
- Justin Gaethje is 21-2 in his career
But we have to side with the bookmakers and plump for Ferguson. He is more technically and tactically savvy than his opponent. He has a six-inch reach advantage over Gaethje as well.
It’s the quality of Ferguson’s defence, and knowing that he is one of the most resilient fighters around that tips it for us. He will find those gaps in Gatethe’s defence. Ferguson in 2.
The best betting odds for Tony Ferguson vs Justin Gaethje
Tony Ferguson to win: 8/15 at Bet365
Justin Gaethje: 13/8 at Bet365
