On Saturday night, UFC will have fighting in front of an arena open to full capacity for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic, as VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, is set to host UFC 261. The state of Florida has removed seating restrictions for sporting events, and the main event will feature a rematch between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal, with Usman defending his UFC Welterweight title. Usman defended his title against Masvidal via unanimous decision at UFC 251, and now this is Masvidal’s second shot. This is just one of three title fights on the night, as Zhang Weili will defend her UFC Women’s Strawweight belt against Rose Namajunas, and Valentina Shevchenko puts her UFC Women’s Flyweight title on the line against Jessica Andrade.
Don’t miss the full fight card as well as our UFC betting thoughts on each of these tilts.
UFC 261 Preview: Usman vs Masvidal 2
Main Card (Pay Per View)
Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal (UFC Welterweight Championship)
Zhang Weili vs Rose Namajunas (UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship)
Valentina Shevchenko vs Jessica Andrade (UFC Women’s Flyweight Championship
Uriah Hall vs Chris Weidman (Middleweight)
Anthony Smith vs Jimmy Crute (Light Heavyweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Alex Oliveira vs Randy Brown (Welterweight)
Dwight Grant vs Stefan Sekulic (Welterweight)
Karl Roberson vs Brendan Allen (Middleweight)
Patrick Sabbatini vs Tristan Connelly (Featherweight)
Early Preliminary Card (ESPN2 / ESPN+)
Danaa Batgerel vs Kevin Natividad (Bantamweight)
Kazula Vargas vs Rong Zhu (Lightweight)
Qileng Aori vs Jeffrey Molina (Flyweight)
Na Liang vs Ariane Carnelossi (Women’s Strawweight)
Kamaru Usman (18-1, 13-0 UFC, -420) vs Jorge Masvidal (35-14, 12-7 UFC, +335) has an excellent chance of becoming just the next in a stellar run of fights by the champion. His powerful wrestling game has frustrated everyone has met. Big wins over Demian Maia and Rafael dos Anjos showed he was ready for a title shot, and he took the belt from Tyron Woodley thanks to his combination of strength and a willingness to move forward. His title defense against Colby Covington featured a ton of strikes at high pace, but Usman never seemed in danger. His last fight, a third-round finish against Gilbert Burns, featured some tension when Burns actually stunned Usman in the early going before the champ recovered.
Masvidal had a terrific 2019, which included a knockout of Ben Askren using a flying knee that will always be a UFC highlight. He beat Nate Diaz at Madison Square Garden thanks to a medical stoppage between rounds. Masvidal got his first shot at the belt on a week’s notice, but now Masvidal does not have the excuse of short preparation time. The fact that Masvidal brings danger in bursts but then will give away control for extended periods of time allowed Usman to come in and grind out points. Can Masvidal do more damage this time? It’s hard to see him doing enough.
Final Prediction:
Usman wins via decision
Weili Zhang (21-1, 5-0 UFC, -200) vs Rose Namajunas (9-4, 7-3 UFC, +170) is our next installment of Zhang, as she won the belt in under a minute by finishing Jessica Andrade. She defended her title in March 2020, taking down Joanna Jedrzejczyk on the cards in a five-round epic that showed that both of those fighters can tange with anyone in that division.
Namajunas has worked hard to overcome an initial reputation as a fighter who would fold when the pressure came. She would respond to trouble by getting into the clinch, even though her lengthy frame made that a disadvantageous move, and it cost her a fight against Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Namajunas is a better finisher than Jedrzejczyk is, which could bring Zhang some danger, particularly in the first couple of rounds. Over time, though, Zhang should be able to pull away on points.
Final Prediction:
Zhang wins via decision
Valentina Shevchenko (20-3, -390) vs Jessica Andrade (21-8, +320) is a testament to the success of Shevchenko’s move to flyweight. Her wins over the likes of Priscila Cachoeira, Liz Carmouche, Jessica Eye, and Katlyn Chookagian showed her dominance. She did take damage from Jennifer Maia, who won a round, and Andrade could deliver as well, as we saw when she dropped Rose Namajunas on her head to record a slam knockout. She lost a rematch against Namajunas, but then with a knockout of Chookagian last fall, she got back into the title conversation.
We’ll have to look at the success Maia had in the early going against Shevchenko to get an insight into Andrade’s chances. Maia was able to overpower Shevchenko, albeit briefly. Andrade does not have the size or strength that Maia has. Andrade who does have the temperament to push the champ into a faster pace. Shevchenko has the striking game and the wrestling game to win in either scenario, though.
Final Prediction:
Shevchenko wins via decision
UFC Betting Odds
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