UFC 209 promises to be one of the most intriguing and competitive cards in recent memory, and it is almost upon us…
The event will be broadcast live on March 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card will be available to watch on pay-per-view and follows prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
The main event will see a welterweight title rematch between Tyron Woodley and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Both men fought to a grippingly tight majority draw at UFC 205 in New York last November. The fight will confirm who is top of the tree at 170, with almost nothing separating the two men in their initial throwdown.
If that wasn’t reason enough to get excited, Tony Ferguson rides a nine-fight win streak into the octagon where he will face eight-fight streaking Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC’s interim lightweight title. The winner is expected to be thrown the first shot at incumbent champion Conor McGregor, and an opportunity to unify the lightweight division.
Other bouts on the main card include Rashad Evans’ debut at middleweight vs Daniel Kelly, David Teymur vs. Lando Vannata in the main card’s other lightweight contest, and a heavyweight rematch between Mark Hunt and Alistair Overeem (Overeem submitted Hunt at Dream 5 in 2008).
FS1 Prelims see heavyweights Todd Duffee and Mark Godbeer slug it out, but this may yet be subject to Duffee making the fight following Godbeer’s recent comments speculating that he will not make the event. Luis Henrique vs. Marcin Tybura, Mirsad Bektic vs. Darren Elkins, and Iuri Alcantara vs. Luke Sanders also feature.
UFC’s Fight Pass featured bout sees Scotland’s Paul Craig take on Australia’s Tyson Pedro. Both men are unbeaten in the UFC, but chances are that this will not be the case come the end of the bout.
UFC 209’s official lineup is:
MAIN CARD – Pay-per-view (10 p.m. ET)
Champ Tyron Woodley vs. Stephen Thompson – (Welterweight Title Fight)
Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov – (Lightweight Interim Title Fight)
Rashad Evans vs. Daniel Kelly
David Teymur vs. Lando Vannata
Mark Hunt vs. Alistair Overeem
FS1 Prelims (8 p.m. ET)
Todd Duffee vs. Mark Godbeer
Luis Henrique vs. Marcin Tybura
Mirsad Bektic vs. Darren Elkins
Iuri Alcantara vs. Luke Sanders
UFC Fight Pass Featured Fight (7:30 p.m. ET)
Paul Craig vs. Tyson Pedro
