UFC 249: Four undercard fights to follow on the UFC's controversial coronavirus card

While the loss of the headliner between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson is a blow, next weeks's UFC 249 is set to push ahead despite coronavirus concerns and there are more than a few tasty fights lined up for fight fans.

While the scars of the FIFTH postponement of arguably the most desired fight in mixed martial arts history are still raw, a new main event between Ferguson and Justin Gaethje is more than enough to tide us over the UFC attempts to book the fight for a sixth time. 

Whatever the ramifications of the Khabib-Ferguson rivalry might be (and exactly what a Justin Gaethje win next weekend might mean for that) remains to be seen, but no matter what you think of the UFC's dogged insistence on holding an event in the midst of a global pandemic, there is a veritable feast of fights scheduled for next weekend and it will be a much-needed cure to the sporting famine caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. 

The main event is now well known, but which fights from the undercard should fans focus on?

Rose Namajunas vs. Jessica Andrade II

It isn't often that grizzled, veteran MMA reporters express their squeamishness at events that unfold in a cage but that is exactly what happened when 'Thug' Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade squared off for the first time.

Namajunas, who came into the first fight with Andrade on the back of two successive wins against the formidable Joanna Jedrzejczyk, dominated early sections of the fight on the feet. But, midway through the second round, her UFC title reign came to a definitive end when she was picked up and slammed on her neck in the middle of the octagon by her Brazilian opponent. 

The slo-mo replay showed in full HD the gruesome angle her neck contorted into, bringing an immediate end to the fight and her title run. 

Andrade, who was well beaten by Zhang Weili in her first title defence, will be hoping for some sort of similar outcome to their first fight, but will face a tricky time against the wily Namajunas, provided the American has banished any bad memories from that first fight to the scrapheap.

Calvin Kattar vs. Jeremy Stephens

Russian fans will be well-acquainted with Massachusetts fighter Kattar following his spirited but ultimately unsuccessful outing against Zabit Magomedsharipov in his last appearance. Prior to that, Kattar had tasted defeat just once in his previous 13 fights and had established himself as a fighter with legitimate championship potential at 145lbs.

Stephens, meanwhile, is without a win in his last four and the matchmaking behind this fight very much has the look of being designed to add a high profile name to Kattar's increasingly impressive resume.

However, Stephens' previously stated that when knocks people out, "They don't f***ing move." Just ask past victims Josh Emmett and Dooho Choi if the thunder-fisted Stephens is telling the truth. If they can remember, that is...

Francis Ngannou vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik

Every once in a while a fight comes along that cannot be anything other than fireworks, but the danger is we said that about Francis Ngannou vs. Derrick Lewis too, and that turned out to be a dud.

However, Ngannou has very much rebounded from disappointing performances in losses to Lewis and current champ Stipe Miocic and has regained the type of concussive form that ushered him into UFC heavyweight title contention.

Most recently, he has knocked out former champions Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez in his last two fights in a grand total of less than two minutes of cage time.

In Rozenstruik he faces something of a mirror image – if a slightly off-brand version. The Dutch-Surinamese heavyweight has amassed an enviable list of first-round knockouts in his undefeated, ten-fight run to date, but does appear to be a slightly more languid fighter when compared to his Cameroonian foe.

Ngannou has the edge here in our eyes, but you can never count out a fighter who has registered first round KOs in 70% of his fights.

Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza vs. Uriah Hall

Several years ago, and after several violent knockout wins on a season of 'The Ultimate Fighter', his coach Chael Sonnen declared Uriah Hall an immediate contender to the UFC's middleweight title, but for reasons presumably only known to him, Hall's undoubted talent in the striking realm never quite translated to him being considered among the middleweight elite.

But when he is 'on', there are few more exciting fighters at 185 pounds. Hall's career has really only seen him take a defeat when he has been paired with one of the division's top talents (Gastelum, Whittaker, Mousasi, Costa etc.) and he will have to overcome this slump if he is to win against another elite fighter in Ronaldo 'Jacare' Souza.

However, the Brazilian fighter is aging, is returning from an unsuccessful sojourn at light heavyweight and has lost two straight, so this presents an opportunity for dynamic striker Hall to end his run of defeats against the division's best. 

Souza, though, is among the best pure grapplers in mixed martial arts and will be confident of securing a submission - even if Hall has never tapped out in his 24-fight career.