Tony Ferguson opens as betting favorite vs. Justin Gaethje for potential UFC 249 fight

The UFC isn’t the only entity trying to forge forward in the unsteady times of the global coronavirus pandemic. Sportsbooks are looking to keep their businesses afloat in the near absence of events, too.

So, as Dana White attempts to move forward with UFC 249, which still doesn’t have a location set for its scheduled April 18 date, wagers are being taken for fights that haven’t yet been finalized.

There’s a strong chance lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is out of his long-awaited matchup with Tony Ferguson in the main event, but Ferguson is still looking to fight. And a leading name that has popped up in Nurmagomedov’s wake is Justin Gaethje.

Regardless of what you feel about the appropriateness of the card moving forward as planned as COVID-19 continues to spread, Ferguson (25-3 MMA, 15-1 UFC) vs. Gaethje 21-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC), which would be a matchup of a former interim UFC champ and a former World Series of Fighting titleholder, would be one hell of a scrap between two fighters capable of putting on a “Fight of the Year” every time they step in the cage.

According to Best Fight Odds, Ferguson has opened as a -170 favorite against Gaethje, meaning you’d have to wager $170 to make $100 on a Ferguson win. Gaethje, meanwhile, is a +145 underdog, meaning a $100 bet would pay $145 in case of a Gaethje victory.

You can still bet on Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson. While the sportsbooks vary slightly, 5Dimes has Nurmagomedov at -300 and Ferguson at +250.