UFC 261 is not a fight night to miss as there are three titles on the line and more importantly, the return of fans. There will be 15,000 in attendance at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Here, TIBS News previews the card.
Kamaru Usman (18-1-0) vs Jorge Masvidal (35-14-0)
It was just nine months ago that Masvidal got the call on short notice to fill in for Gilbert Burns who tested positive for Covid-19 to face Usman. With the welterweight belt on the line, the main event promises to be a special one.
Usman has now successfully defended his title three times and has a perfect UFC record of 13-0. The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ is hoping to silence his doubters who believe, with the right preparation, Masvidal is the better fighter. If he can successfully defend his title for a fourth time, he will be up there as one of the best fighters to ever grace the sport.
For Masvidal, this is a chance to prove himself after the first time these two fought. It showed huge nerve from the American to step up with a week’s notice and fight the champion. Although he lost the fight, he and others believe that with the right preparation time he will win the belt.
Usman oozes with confidence, stepping back into the octagon just two months after his last fight. It’s clear to see that the fighter believes in his skill and more importantly, himself. For Masvidal, a win would mean his first taste of a major championship.
Zhang Weili (21-1-0) vs Rose Namajunas (10-4-0)
In the co-main event, we see Zhang Weili put her strawweight title on the line against former champ Rose Namajunas.
Weili walked to the top of the strawweight division, winning four fights in the space of 13 months. However, it was at UFC 248 when she wrote her name into the history books. With a fractured training camp, she still pulled off a performance and won through split decision against Joanna Jedrzejczyk. With a 21-fight winning streak, she will be hoping to retain her belt.
Namajunas has only fought once since losing her title last summer, but her split-decision victory against Jessica Andrade earned her the spot of No 1 contender in the strawweight division. The 28-year-old is hoping to right her wrongs and win back what she believes is hers.
Will we see a change of champion in the strawweight division, or will we see a win streak extended to 22?
Valentina Shevchenko (20-3-0) vs Jessica Andrade (21-8-0)
This is the first of the three title fights and it comes in the flyweight division, with Valentina Shevchenko defending her belt for the fifth time against Andrade.
Shevchenko has been untouchable in her flyweight career, so much so that losing just one round had people questioning her. After an injury that had her sitting out of a second fight in 2020, she is back and looking to extend her winning run to seven on Saturday.
After losing to Namajunas in the strawweight division, Andrade took the leap up to flyweight and made an impact straight away. She beat Katlyn Chookagian in the first round with a body blow. The Brazilian is now aiming to write her name in the history books by becoming only the second female fighter to win titles in two weight classes.
This fight is highly anticipated by many and Andrade’s recent performance only added to the excitement. The bout could go either way but the result will have a lasting impact on both careers.
Uriah Hall (17-9-0) vs Chris Weidman (15-5-0)
Unfortunately, it is not another title fight but it is a rematch between middleweights Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman – which the former lost.
Hall is in the form of his life with four consecutive wins, most notably his last which was a fourth-round stoppage against Anderson Silva. The MMA veteran knows that a win against Weidman will see his name up in the rankings as a potential title challenger.
Weidman is not in the best of form as it stands, with just two wins in his last seven fights. His previous win was last summer where he moved to the light-heavyweight bracket and beat Omari Akhmedov. The former champion is hoping that his move to South Carolina will help his form.
The fight is the best thing for both men’s careers, as a win will see either of them solidify their place in the division as serious challengers.
Anthony Smith (34-16-0) vs Jimmy Crute (12-1-0)
The first fight of the main card sees former challenger Anthony Smith take on Jimmy Crute.
Smith started off 2020 in a bad way, losing his first two fights to Glover Teixeira and Aleksandar Rakic. Upon return to the octagon in November, he registered a first-round submission win over Devin Clark. He will be looking to keep that momentum going against Crute.
Crute has quickly climbed the rankings as of late, registering four wins in five UFC fights, after his loss on debut in 2019. The 25-year-old is one to watch and a win here will see his name among the challengers for the title.
There isn’t a better way to start off an exciting main card then with Smith versus Crute. It is another fight that could go either way and would be career boosting for both fighters to win.
UFC 261 is not a fight night to be missed, it promises to be edge of the set action from the first ring of the bell.
By Daniel Perry
