[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knLB3-lS9iU&w=640&h=360]
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 261 live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to pay-per-view with a
trio of title fights. All three championship bouts are now official at UFC
261 after the official weigh-ins took place. Sitting atop the
card is a welterweight title rematch between champ Kamaru
Usman and Jorge
Masvidal. All fighters on the card successfully made
weight.
The UFC welterweight king is on a roll as Usman (18-1) has won 17
straight fights. Undefeated inside the Octagon, Usman has defended
his title three times since winning it from Tyron
Woodley in 2019. After a back-and-forth battle with Colby
Covington, Usman picked up a dominant decision over Masvidal
(35-14) and then knocked out Gilbert
Burns. “The Nigerian Nightmare” stepped on the scales weighing
169.5 pounds.
After taking their first fight on extremely short notice, Masvidal
feels there is unfinished business with Usman. “Gamebred” has
become one of the UFC’s most popular fighters after a three-fight
stretch that saw him knock out Darren
Till, get into a backstage scuffle with Leon
Edwards, knee Ben Askren
into meme history and get crowned the “BMF” champ against Nate Diaz. The
36-year-old knows this could be his last chance at UFC gold, and
looked sharp weighing in at 170 pounds.
The co-main event will see Weili Zhang
look to defend her strawweight title against former titleholder
Rose
Namajunas. Zhang (21-1) is undefeated inside the promotion, and
picked up the title after demolishing Jessica
Andrade in 42 seconds. This is her first fight back since a “Fight of the Year” war against Joanna
Jedrzejczyk last year. Meanwhile, Namajunas (9-4) will look to
regain the title she lost to Andrade. Both women had no issue
making championship weight, with both weighing 114.5 pounds.
The first title fight on the pay-per-view will see dominant UFC
flyweight queen Valentina
Shevchenko defend against Andrade (21-8), the aforementioned
former strawweight champion. Shevchenko (20-3) has been unstoppable
in the 125-pound division, and has already made four successful
defenses of her belt. Andrade impressed after moving to 125 by
knocking out former title challenger Katlyn
Chookagian. The champ and challenger both came in at 124.5
pounds.
The UFC 261 main card will take place at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on
ESPN+ pay-per-view. Early prelims will begin at 5:45 p.m. ET/2:45
p.m. PT on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+, while other preliminary bouts
will be simulcasted on ESPN and ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m.
PT.
UFC 261 Weigh-in Results:
Kamaru
Usman (169.5 vs. Jorge
Masvidal (170)
Weili
Zhang (114.5) vs. Rose
Namajunas (114.5)
Valentina
Shevchenko (124.5) vs. Jessica
Andrade (124.5)
Chris
Weidman (186) vs. Uriah Hall
(185)
Anthony
Smith (206) vs. Jimmy Crute
(205.5)
Alex
Oliveira (171) vs. Randy Brown
(171)
Dwight
Grant (170) vs. Stefan
Sekulic (171)
Brendan
Allen (186) vs. Karl
Roberson (185)
Tristan
Connelly (146) vs. Pat
Sabatini (145)
Danaa
Batgerel (136) vs. Kevin
Natividad (135.5)
Rodrigo
Vargas (155) vs. Zhu Rong
(156)
Jeff
Molina (126) vs. Qileng Aori
(126)
Ariane
Carnelossi (115) vs. Na Liang
(116)
