Anik confident UFC 249 will happen: 'Ducks are in a row'

UFC lead play-by-play commentator Jon Anik is confident UFC 249 will happen as planned.

"I do think we're going to have a show on May 9," Anik told MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn on Wednesday. "I feel pretty convicted in that. I would say nine out of 10, if you will."

The promotion was forced to postpone the original UFC 249 card, which was slated for April 18 in California, due to the coronavirus pandemic. UFC president Dana White, who's been adamant about continuing operations amid the COVID-19 outbreak, quickly turned his focus to May 9.

Though the UFC hasn't officially announced a location for UFC 249, the event is reportedly set to take place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville.

"Big picture, I think it's just a matter of getting the staff and the fighters to wherever this location is," Anik continued. "I feel like if any company can do it, (the UFC can). ... I feel like they've done the work. Their ducks are in a row.

"May 9, I think, for a lot of us, can't come soon enough, just so we can prove that we can do a show safely and hopefully healthily get out the other side."

Anik, who confirmed he will call UFC 249 should it happen, said he expects the UFC will take all necessary measures to ensure the event proceeds as safely as possible.

"You can be sure we will be masked and gloved, I would think, almost right up until showtime before we're spitting commentary in the direction of the fighters or whatever we're doing," he said. "They'll be taking a lot of precautions obviously, and I'm sure our questions that we have now will be answered leading up to May 9."

UFC 249 will feature an interim lightweight title fight between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje, as well as a bantamweight title bout between champion Henry Cejudo and former champ Dominick Cruz.