Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight rivals Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal will clash TONIGHT (Sat., April 24, 2021) at UFC 261 inside Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
It’s time to see just how much truth there was behind Masvidal’s rough weight cut, and the general struggles of his short-notice performance back in July 2020. “Gamebred” has not fought since that loss, so there’s been no opportunity to demonstrate improvement and pick up a win. Instead, Masvidal risks losing consecutive fights and potentially some star power in the process. Alternatively, Usman has never looked better than when he pulverized Gilbert Burns just a couple months ago (watch highlights). The Welterweight kingpin is breaking records and looking a pound-for-pound great, and another high-profile title defense would only add to an already supremely impressive resume.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Kamaru Usman
Record: 18-1
Key Wins: Jorge Masvidal (UFC 251), Tyron Woodley (UFC 235), Colby Covington (UFC 245), Demian Maia (UFC Fight Night 129), Rafael dos Anjos (TUF 28 Finale), Leon Edwards (UFC on FOX 17), Sean Strickland (UFC 210)
Key Losses: None
Keys to Victory: Usman is one of the most dominant athletes in UFC history. He’s so physically overpowering, and his gas tank is so deep that his skills are likely the second-most important aspect of his fight game. Unfortunately for his peers, all of his individual skills have improved dramatically over the years.
In this bout, Usman understands his path to victory — he showed that in the first fight. Masvidal is very crafty and deceptively powerful while striking from range, in the pocket, and even in the clinch. He can, however, be stymied with consistent wrestling pressure, and this is what Usman did so well the first time around.
There’s no real reason to switch it up.
Supposedly, Usman took this fight because he wants to beat Masvidal up. Cynic that I am, I would assume his reasoning has more to do with the added PPV buys of fighting Masvidal compared to someone like Leon Edwards. If that’s not the case, however, Usman could likely do a bit more damage safely by jamming that long jab into Masvidal’s nose. He’s got a significant reach advantage, and a smartly applied jab will help stop “Gamebred” from exploding anyway.
Jorge Masvidal
Record: 35-14
Key Wins: Ben Askren (UFC 239), Darren Till (UFC Fight Night 147), Nate Diaz (UFC 244), Donald Cerrone (UFC on FOX 23), James Krause (UFC 178)
Key Losses: Kamaru Usman (UFC 251), Demian Maia (UFC 211), Stephen Thompson (UFC 217), Benson Henderson (UFC Fight Night 79)
Keys to Victory: Masvidal has long been one of the sport’s finest technicians. He’s always been able to do it all: box wonderfully, wrestle at a rather surprisingly high level, and scramble with jiu-jitsu aces. It’s only recently that Masvidal’s killer instinct has matched his skill, however, and the results have been impressive.
Look, I understand that Masvidal likely has to knockout Usman to win. It’s always going to be tough to decision a guy like Usman, who throws punches and wrestles at a remarkable rate for 25 minutes.
However, I’d still like to see Masvidal fight with the intention of winning every round. That’s ultimately how he builds up to a knockout, barring a one-punch shot that should not be counted upon.
There are two aspects necessary for Masvidal to win rounds. First and foremost, he has to work his ass off to fight out of bad positions. He has the wrestling to defend takedowns, but if he’s jammed into the clinch, it hardly matters. Whether on the cage or mat, Masvidal has to immediately work to scramble back up to his feet.
Secondly, Masvidal has to be landing at range. He did some nice work copying Covington in the first fight by going Southpaw and letting kicks to the leg and body fly. That’s good stuff, and controlling the jab would help make sure Usman doesn’t find his way to the takedown as well.
If Masvidal can win exchanges and deny Usman control opportunities, the knockout will come with time.
Bottom Line
The stakes are major for each man.
What is Kamaru Usman’s future? “The Nigerian Nightmare” seems poised to continue dominating the Welterweight division, but he’s also spoken of walking away from the sport, and his knees are seriously worn from a lifetime of competition. If he cashes out with another Masvidal victory paycheck, could anyone blame him? Otherwise, there are still lots of challenges at 170 pounds, even if Usman ran through the divisional ranks even before his title.
As for Masvidal, this is almost certainly his last crack at the undisputed title … unless perhaps Covington manages to get his hands on gold. More to the point, “Gamebred” has been at this for a very, very long time. Stardom and a BMF title are huge accomplishments given how long the veteran toiled in relative obscurity, but there’s no better way to complete his resurrection than with the real title.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 261 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN2/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 261: “Usman vs. Masvidal 2” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.
At UFC 261, Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal will go to war in the main event. Which man earns the victory?