UFC 261: Usman Defends Title against Masvidal

Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, was set to put his belt on the line in an eagerly anticipated main event against Gilbert Burns at UFC 251 last July. However, Gilbert Burns tested positive for Covid-19 and was forced to pull out of the bout. Jorge Masvidal stepped in at six days’ notice to lock horns with the champion.

Usman made short work of Masvidal on the sunny confines of Fight Island, showcasing his welterweight supremacy against a battle-hardened Masvidal. It was ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ that got his hand raised as the champion won via unanimous decision to retain the welterweight strap.

With a long list of challengers queuing up to trade leather with Usman at UFC 261, the welterweight champion cherrypicked his rematch with Masvidal in the hope of a repeat vanquishing. ‘Gamebred’ has not fought since losing to Usman in July 2020 when he took the fight at short notice. Masvidal is armed with a full camp coming into the rematch and is eager to challenge for welterweight glory again.

Masvidal will utilise a partisan home crowd in Florida with the burning desire to secure sweet revenge after his loss on Fight Island. Usman, though, returns having fought as recently as February when he defended his title against a resilient Gilbert Burns in his 13th successive win at 170lbs, chalking up the most wins in the division’s history.

The Floridian fighter has made some waves in the welterweight division over the past few years, dispatching some of the best in the business coupled with a slice of finesse. The Miami native has blossomed into one of the biggest stars in the promotion after grabbing the spotlight with both hands, forcing the world to take notice of his explosive exploits in the cage.

Usman, on the other hand, carries a 17-fight win streak before stepping into the cage again with Masvidal. The Nigerian native has proved countless times why he’s at the top of the food chain in the welterweight division, leaving every challenger with a Loss mark on their fight card.

The pair’s rematch looks to be a blockbuster affair with a plethora of excitement compared to the first instalment. Masvidal will be coming into the rematch armed with a full camp and time to prepare his challenge, while Usman will be fresh off the back of the Gilbert defence. With such a great fight card on offer, why not try your luck on Unikrn’s UFC virtual betting and relive some mouth-watering welterweight matchups.

The UFC announced that it will welcome fans back in a mouth-watering UFC 261 today in Jacksonville, Florida, as Usman puts his welterweight belt on the line against Jorge Masvidal. Dana White has made it no secret that he has yearned for the return of fans since being strong-armed to put the sport behind closed doors at the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
The president has displayed fierce reserves of tenacity, creativity and determination to stage events this past year. White has carried the torch as the promotion continued staging fight nights long after the vast majority of sports leagues and tournaments were suspended.

The ambitious UFC chief has been constantly criticised throughout the pandemic as he’s voiced controversial remarks surrounding the health pandemic stating “I’ll go anywhere I can sell out the whole arena.” It looks like White has got his wish as UFC 261 will be held in the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, before an expected full-crowd of 15,000 fans.
Masvidal was deprived of a training camp before his showdown with Usman at UFC 251 after a six-day warning. Clearly, this was not ideal for the Hispanic fighter and he voiced his concerns before agreeing to the championship bout.

It could be argued that Masvidal is getting the short straw again going into 261. The uniformed approach for a title fight is a month and a half’s notice for the challenger. Albeit this is longer notice than 251, it still is not an ideal timeframe.

The narrative surrounding Masvidal was that he can beat Usman with a full training camp in his arsenal and sufficient time. The first fight provided us with some insight into how the two fighters hone their craft in the octagon. Masvidal did a phenomenal job in the opening round breaking off the early takedowns from Usman.

Masvidal’s striking is far superior to that of Usman and the raw explosive power that ‘Gamebred’ possesses is frightening. Masvidal’s gas tank guzzled away after the opening round of UFC 251, and unfortunately, his striking became ineffective in the later rounds.