UFC 249 Paves Reopening to Pro Sports in US

UFC 249 paves the way back for professional sports in the US.

In the middle of a period when professional sports has been brought to a halt by the coronavirus pandemic, the UFC took on the daunting task on Saturday night of serving as the first major professional sport in the country to return to action with the UFC 249 event in Jacksonville, Florida. 

The UFC entered the highly-publicized weekend with a stacked card but still forced with living up to some lofty expectations. In the end, it's safe to say that the UFC succeeded in providing the slightest bit of normalcy with action that we won't soon forget. 

The UFC 249 event, originally scheduled to take place on April 18 in Brooklyn, had everything a fight fan could have asked for. We witnessed an epic main event where a new interim lightweight champion was crowned after a systematic beating was delivered for nearly 25 minutes, a vicious, highlight-reel knockout in nearly the blink of an eye and even a shocking retirement. For myriad reasons, UFC 249 will go down in history. 

UFC 249 fight card results
Justin Gaethje def. Tony Ferguson via fifth-round TKO to win interim lightweight title -- Recap, highlights
Henry Cejudo (c) def. Dominick Cruz via second-round TKO to retain bantamweight title -- Recap, highlights
Francis Ngannou def. Jair Rozenstruik via first-round KO -- Recap, highlights 
Calvin Kattar def. Jeremy Stephens via second-round TKO (strikes) -- Recap, highlights
Greg Hardy def. Yorgan De Castro via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) -- Recap, highlights
Anthony Pettis def. Donald Cerrone via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) -- Recap, highlights
Aleksei Oleinik def. Fabricio Werdum via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Carla Esparza def. Michelle Waterson via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 30-27)
Vicente Luque def. Niko Price via TKO (strikes; doctor stoppage) -- Recap, highlights
Bryce Mitchell def. Charles Rosa via unanimous decision (30-25, 30-25, 30-24)
Ryan Spann def. Sam Alvey via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
UFC 249 countdown
"Jacare" tests positive for COVID-19, removed from card
Championship fighters on weight for Saturday, Stephens misses badly
Campbell: Ferguson betting on himself -- again -- in taking in-between bout
Brookhouse: A complete look at every fight from the early prelims to the main event
Brookhouse: Cejudo on a 'legacy rampage' against legends
Crosby: Heavyweight business picks back up with Ngannou-Rozenstruik
Campbell: How a short-notice bout between aging gunslingers came to be 
Campbell: Cruz looking to 'transform' in return to action
Best prop bets to make on the main card
Brookhouse: Justin Gaethje ready to seize the long-awaited moment
CBS Sports HQ: Dana White talks UFC 249 with Brian Campbell
Brookhouse: Fighters who have won big on short notice
UFC planning to test fighters, team members for the coronavirus
Campbell: Five biggest storylines to watch in Jacksonville
Brookhouse: Five things to know and how we got here
UFC Schedule