When Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal tangled at UFC 251 on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, there was a lot of drama leading into the fight. However, once the two fighters made it into the ring, Usman made relatively easy work of Masvidal, utilizing his clinch game and wrestling skills to win unanimously on the cards, defending his UFC Welterweight belt. It’s worth noting that Masvidal had only taken the fight on six days’ notice and wanted to bring his striking game. However, Usman showed no interest in keeping the fight upright and closed the distance to his advantage.
Let’s take a closer look at this fight as you consider your online UFC betting for Usman vs Masvidal 2, set for UFC 261.
UFC News: Recap of Usman vs Masvidal 1
As the fight got underway, Masvidal had the edge in the early going, landing some combinations. However, Usman simply waited for an opportunity to catch a leg kick and then took things down to the mat. This would become a pattern throughout the fight, as Masvidal would land a few punches, but then Usman would take things down and exert pressure. Masvidal had terrific defense when he was off his back as well as in trying to stave off takedowns. However, he could never move into a position of control in the fight and had to spend the majority of the time getting away from Usman’s grip.
Usman did not just use his wrestling game, though. He also landed some shoulder strikes, foot stomps and body shots to keep Masvidal from finding a place of comfort and reestablishing any sort of striking game. As the fight went on, Masvidal slid deeper and deeper into a hole that he could not escape. His exhaustion by the fourth round was clear, and he no longer had zip on his kicks or punches, and Usman was able to move in at will. In the last round, Usman had another takedown, using his top game to hold Masvidal on the floor. Masvidal finally got back up with a few seconds left in the round, but by then Usman had an insurmountable points lead, and Masvidal was unable to pull off a miraculous knockout.
When the two fighters meet again at UFC 261, they will have the energy of a full arena, as VyStar Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, will open to 100% capacity. The rematch will be just one of three title fights on the card; in addition to Usman vs Masvidal 2 as the main event, Valentina Shevchenko will defend her UFC Women’s Flyweight title against Jessica Andrade, while Zhang Weili’s UFC Women’s Strawweight belt will be up for grabs, as Rose Namajunas brings a challenge.
VyStar Memorial Arena has a capacity of about 15,000 fans, and with three title fights on the way, you can expect that a ton of MMA fans will be in the seats. Masvidal comes back with plenty of time to prepare this time around, instead of just six days’ notice. It will be interesting to see how he has adapted his game to prepare for Usman’s constant pressure and to mix up his own offense so that Usman will not have such an easy time neutralizing it and taking the fight to the mat, where he hopes to wear Masvidal down yet again.
It also helps that Masvidal is a Florida native, so the crowd should largely be on his side. Masvidal has not fought since that loss, which took place in July 2020. Usman fought in February, taking down Gilbert Burns in a title defense. That makes 13 straight wins as a welterweight, which gives him the record for most victories as a UFC welterweight fighter. He has won 17 in a row overall. Masvidal has certainly earned the right to come back and challenge again, as he has beaten the other elite UFC welterweight fighters. Can the rematch be more explosive than the first fight? No matter who wins, we’re betting on a more intense fight this time around.
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