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Another huge fight seems likey for UFC 249 on April 18, and more announcements are soon to follow. That means UFC 249 is truly shaping up to be one of the “baddest” cards ever just as UFC president Dana White had hoped.
Moreover, judging by the recent string of last-minute match-ups added to the upcoming April 18 pay-per-view event, things might turn out even better than initially expected.
A day after revealing the main event was changing from the long-coveted matchup between UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson to an interim title clash between Ferguson and American contender Justin Gaethje, two massive heavyweights were also revealed to be part of the UFC’s grand plans for UFC 249.
The biggest addition to the card so far is Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik was originally supposed to take place at UFC Columbus on March 28. It was the main event of that show, but the card had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But after both heavyweight contenders campaigned to be added to the new UFC 249 card scheduled for later this month, it appears each man ultimately got his wish. According to Rozenstruik, who posted about the agreement on social media, Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik will indeed take place at UFC 249.
Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik Is A Huge Heavyweight Clash
Ngannou is currently ranked No. 2 at heavyweight behind top-rated contender Daniel Cormier. Rozenstruik is ranked No. 6.
The winner would be in line to face UFC heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic sometime in the near future.
Miocic is still recovering from an eye injury he suffered in his stoppage win over Cormier in the rematch last year. But Miocic and Cormier are knotted at 1-1 so it seems reasonable the two would fight again for the third time.
Still, Ngannou vs. Rozenstruik would crown the next most likely candidate to challenge the UFC heavyweight champion.
Greg Hardy vs. Yorgan De Castro Also Added Per Report
Heavyweights Greg Hardy and Yorgan De Castro are also going to clash at UFC 249 per BJPenn.com’s Adam Martin. That fight was also originally scheduled to take place at UFC Columbus but needed a new date after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Per that same report, Hardy vs. De Castro is expected to be part of the prelims. However, the full card is still shaping up so it could find itself slotted anywhere on fight night, even among the main card matchups.
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