We’ve purchased the ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) and with it our dynamic tag team duo, Matt Ryan and Harry Terjanian, will deliver the best possible ‘radio style’ play-by-play broadcast imaginable throughout UFC 251’s main card, starting at 10 p.m. ET in the video player below!
Ever order something good, but then your delivery guy screws up and sends you something different, but it’s secretly what you wanted? This is UFC 251, which takes place TONIGHT (Sat., July 11, 2020) on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, in a nutshell (results here).
Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman finally fighting each other on just six days’ notice is exactly how the thing being called “Fight Island” should kick off. It’s insane, it’s super necessary, and it actually excites me to call this card.
When “Fight Island” was announced, every person who makes money in the fight business was elated at the possibilities and more than likely the balls of Dana White for basically saying, “we’re buying an island.” But, Dana White did what Dana White does and ends up straying from the initial mission and ending up teaming with an oligarchical government to put on fights in a venue it has run before.
But, I digress …
I feel for Gilbert Burns, who was struck with COVID-19 (details), and wish that this was not the way his biggest fight was taken from him. But as a fan of spectacles and larger than life things, the Masvidal-Usman fight is the cherry on a card that is really good (see it).
It makes me excited to call the fights with Harry and have to deal with Dan A. White’s crazy ass. But when Burns pulled out, I called that this fight was gonna happen so … you’re welcome. But, seriously this fight matters for all of the potential storylines coming out of this one fight for the welterweight title. It could be the fight that brings Conor McGregor out of his latest Terry Funk-esque retirement, it may set up for a Colby-Masvidal fight or we get Diaz-Masvidal 2. Or it solidifies Usman as the king of the welterweight division and earns him the respect and praise he’s demanded and searched for since piecing up Tyron Woodley more than one year ago.
Who the heck knows … let’s just enjoy the cage fights!
Speaking of Dan A. White, we will be selling a print of him for our “Felt Fundraising” efforts! For $25 will send you a limited edition print of Dan in all his puppet glory with all profits going to No Kid Hungry, with many after school and summer programs halted because of COVID-19, we felt it would be best to help those who are hurt the most by this.
For our #UFC251 Live Stream we will be raising money for No Kid Hungry! How? This limited edition print designed by @Falbo_Benjamin! pic.twitter.com/YfwDPawcr8
— MMA mania (@mmamania) July 10, 2020
Donate by going to Paypal.me/PuppetsForPeace.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 251 fight card this weekend, starting with the ESPN+/Fight Pass “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+.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 251: “Usman vs. Masvidal” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.