[imagesource: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC]

If sport around the world was continuing as normal, the brutal UFC 249 main event fight between Justin Gaethje and Tony Ferguson, held at VyStar Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Jacksonville, Florida, would still have been big news.

Given that we are all so starved of any live sporting action, it’s no surprise that the event was more popular than ever, and Gaethje’s performance is being heralded as one that will live long in mixed martial arts lore.

This from MMA Fighting:

…he stopped Tony Ferguson by TKO in the fifth round to become interim lightweight champion, setting up an inevitable showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov later this year.

It was a jaw-dropping performance, as Gaethje punished Ferguson round after round before finally putting him away with less than two minutes remaining in the fight.

“I knew I was a killer stepping in here,” Gaethje said about his performance. “No better drug on Earth. Adrenaline coursing through my veins.”

Following two straight losses, Gaethje began making noticeable changes to his strategy and approach to fighting without sacrificing any of his highlight-reel finishes. It was more of the same at UFC 249 as he attacked Ferguson with devastating power behind his punches while refusing to engage in the wild exchanges that cost him so dearly in many past fights.

Ferguson, who was on a 12-fight win streak and hadn’t lost since 2012, took a serious beating.

There was plenty of blood, and this punch to the face is what led to the fight being stopped.

Justin Gaethje just DESTROYED Tony Ferguson. Crazy fight. 👏 #ufc249 pic.twitter.com/4ceRWB9JcU

— RetroWwfUfc (@RetroWwfUfc) May 10, 2020

If that video doesn’t work, here’s another example of Justin’s hard-hitting power:

Tony baby what happene to you #JustinGaethje @UFCFightPass @TeamKhabib @TheNotoriousMMA @danawhite @UFCNews @UFC_CA Absolutely no doubt pic.twitter.com/exEATfssCn

— fayamalli (@fayamalli) May 10, 2020

You can see the full fight highlights below:

In defeat, Ferguson didn’t mince his words:

“It’s been a long f*cking camp…We’ve been preparing since November. Justin’s a tough son of a b*tch. Sh*t happens. What can you do.”

A fair point, really.

Ferguson is rumoured to have suffered a broken orbital bone in his eye socket, but did a manage a smile the next morning, when sharing a Mother’s Day message:

UFC 250 is slated for June 6, although a location has yet to be named.

[source:mmafighting]