An exhilarating night of fighting saw Kamaru Usman retain his title and Zhang Weili lost hers in front of 15,000 fans.
Kamaru Usman stuns Jorge Masvidal
Usman successfully retained his welterweight title for the fourth time, knocking Masvidal out in the second-round with a right hand.
The first round was very even with both fighters landing big punches.
Usman scored a takedown in the middle of the round and maintained ground control for quite a while which many believe had put him ahead.
But ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ didn’t need to score points, as he landed a straight right which sent Masvidal crashing down on the mat. Usman delivered a set of ground and pound punches before Herb Dean called an end to the fight.
Speaking to Joe Rogan after the fight, Usman said, “I told everybody … I’m still getting better.”
Masvidal accepted defeat and said that he won fair and square.
What’s next for the Gambred is unclear as it stands. But, what was clear to see is that he is not going away in this division and is very much still a contender.
Namajunas becomes a two-time champion with knockout
Rose Namajunas made history as she reclaimed the strawweight title after knocking out Zhang Weili In the first round.
The fight started with Namajunas controlling, throwing jabs and timing them to perfection. It was at one minute and 18 seconds when she landed a huge head kick that had Rogan on his feet, and Weili on the floor.
Weili claimed that the referee had ended the fight too early and that she was fine.
It was clear to see that she was not okay as she received a series of ground punches in which she was defenceless.
Speaking after the fight, the American said “I did it again. I am the best. I didn’t see her moving.”
Shevchenko easily sees off Andrade to keep title
The first of the three title fights was in the women’s flyweight division, where we saw Valentina Shevchenko successfully defend her belt against Jessica Andrade.
There really was no contest between these two when they walked into the octagon. Everyone knows Shevchenko as a stand up, striking fighter. That’s why the UFC world was surprised when she opted for a ground battle.
It was in the second round when a series of elbows forced the referee to call an end to the fight and give the champion her 21st career win.
Speaking after the fight, she made a bold statement saying, “I want to say one thing. When my opponents try to figure out what is a weakness of mine, don’t waste your time. There isn’t one.”
Horror injury leaves people praying for ex-champion’s recovery
Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman stepped into the octagon expecting a big fight and a huge boost up the rankings for the winner. These two had fought before back in 2010, where Weidman defeated Hall in what was his first UFC loss.
However it was just 17 seconds in when Weidman threw a leg kick that the fight was over. As his leg made impact with Hall, the bone has snapped completely into two leaving everyone shocked with what they were seeing.
Weidman went to put his leg down on the mat, where it completely bent and he was virtually standing on his shin. The fight was immediately called off and Hall was awarded the victory. Speaking to Rogan after, the fighter was clearly shook up from what had happened to his opponent.
“Man, I feel so bad. I hope he’s Ok. Thoughts with his family as well.
“whatever rank I am in the future, if he gets healthy, I owe him this fight.”
The whole of the UFC worlds thoughts are with Weidman in a quick and safe recovery from this horrific injury.
Smith’s leg kick proves too much for Crute
We saw Anthony Smith take on Jimmy Crute to kick start UFC261’s main card.
With Crute being a young, up and coming fighter this was a huge step for him knowing that a win would see him climb the rankings. Unfortunately for him, that’s not how it went.
Both fighters were feeling each other out in the first round with Smith landing the majority of hits. Then with a minute left he landed a devastating leg kick which turned out to be the reasoning behind the fight ending.
The 25-year-old fell down straight away, but continued to fight and landed two takedowns with just one leg!
He saw out the first round before struggling to get back to his corner and needing the help of his team.
After the doctors examination, he saw no way the fight could continue and called it off which made Crute punch the octagon pads in rage.
Smith showed his class, sitting in the octagon with the young fighter and telling him how he would learn from what had happened.
We are not entirely sure what happened, but it is believed that the kick could have caused nerve damage which made Crute lose movement and sensation to the lower leg.
UFC261 was an amazing fight night, made even better by the fact that fans are back. Next we are back at the Apex in Las Vegas with Dominick Reyes taking on Jiri Prochazka in the main event.
By Daniel Perry
