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Reigning welterweight champion Kamaru
Usman is a significant favorite heading into his title defense
against short-notice foe Jorge
Masvidal.
As of Sunday evening, Usman was listed as a -313 favorite in the
UFC
251 main event, according to online oddsmaker BetOnline.
Masvidal, meanwhile, checks in as a +263 underdog. Masvidal
accepted the fight on less than one week’s notice after Gilbert
Burns was forced to withdraw from the event due to a positive
COVID-19 test. Odds are subject to change as the fight draws
near.
Usman has won 11 consecutive fights in UFC competition. He claimed
the 170-pound belt with a dominant five-round verdict over Tyron
Woodley at UFC 235 and defended the crown with a fifth-round
stoppage of Colby
Covington this past December. He also owns notable wins over
the likes of Rafael dos
Anjos, Demian Maia
and Leon
Edwards.
Masvidal become a hot commodity in 2019 thanks to authoring
finishes of Darren Till,
Ben
Askren and Nate Diaz.
“Gamebred” had previously been unhappy about the directions of
negotiations for a potential fight with Usman, claiming he had
earned more for his win over Diaz at UFC 244. Both sides were able
to come to terms when Usman needed a new opponent for UFC 251,
however.
UFC 251 takes place on Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi and airs
on pay-per-view via ESPN+ following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+. Two
other championship fights are featured on the main card, as
Alexander Volkanovski defends the featherweight strap in a
rematch with Max
Holloway, while Jose Aldo and
Petr
Yan will meet for the vacant bantamweight crown.