UFC on ESPN+ 16 will be headlined by what will surely hold up as one of the most anticipated main events of the year when Donald Cerrone meets Justin Gaethje in a key lightweight bout.
News of the September main event between Cerrone (36-12 MMA, 23-9 UFC) and Gaethje (20-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) broke early Thursday morning, and there was an immediate outpour of excitement from the MMA community.
With the event less than two months away, though, the pairing came as somewhat of a surprise for a number of reasons. UFC on ESPN+ 16 takes place Sept. 14 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver and streams on ESPN+.
“Cowboy” Cerrone is coming off a tough loss to Tony Ferguson at UFC 238 in June, while Gaethje repeatedly has said he doesn’t accept fights on less than eight weeks’ notice.
So how did it all come together, and what does the fight mean? MMA Junkie senior reporter Mike Bohn reacts in the video above.
For more on UFC on ESPN+ 16, check out the UFC Schedule.
