ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JULY 12: In this handout image provided by UFC, (R-L) Jorge Masvidal punches Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 251 event at Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 12, 2020 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
On Friday, the UFC 261 weigh-ins took place, and all card fighters made the appropriate weights, including Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal.
Usman (18-1) vs Masvidal (35-14) is the main event for UFC 261, and passing the weigh-ins means the match is official and will happen. Usman weighed 169.5 pounds, and Masvidal hit the mark at 170 pounds.
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Usman is defending his UFC welterweight title against Masvidal in the main event of UFC 261 on Saturday in Jacksonville, Florida. The two fighters are familiar with one another as they previously faced off in UFC 251. Usman beat Masvidal via unanimous decision in that matchup last July.
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Usman was originally scheduled to fight Gilbert Burns in UFC 251, but Burns tested positive for coronavirus, so Masvidal replaced Burns on six-day notice. This time, Masvidal has had enough time to prepare for the rematch.
Usman is currently on a 13-fight win streak and is looking for his 14th straight UFC victory and fourth title defense win. If Usman does win on Saturday, then the Nigerian would hold the second-place record for longest win streaks. The Nigerian fighter’s win streak is tied with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Jon Jones. Anderson Silva holds the record with 16 straight wins.
Masvidal is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster. The Florida native became one of the hottest fighters in 2019 with a three-fight win streak. In those three fights, he defeated Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in a span of eight months to become one of the hottest MMA fighters. Unfortunately, the Florida native’s hot streak came to an end at the hands of Usman. This time, the Florida native will look to end the Nigerian fighter’s streak on Saturday.
UFC 261 will also feature two additional title defenses in the co-main event. Weili Zhang (21-1) will defend her women’s strawweight title against former champion Rose Namajunas (9-4). Zhang has not lost a fight since her debut loss. Namajunas has won four of her last five fights.
Valentina Shevchenko (20-3) will defend her flyweight title against Jessica Andrade (21-8).
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