This weekend’s UFC 261 event is the first time that the company will be presenting a card in front of a capacity crowd for some time as MMA gets back into full swing in Jacksonville.
There are three huge Championship fights taking place on the show, with a rematch from 2020 on the docket as well as 4 of the best Women’s fighters on the planet throwing down.
The main event sees Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman (18-1) defending his belt in a rematch against Jorge Masvidal (35-14).
It should be a beauty, and here’s all the betting intel ahead of fight night in Florida.
Usman vs Masvidal: What are the odds?
Usman vs Masvidal tops a stellar card at UFC 261, and here are the main money lines right now:
- -400 Usman vs +350 Masvidal
- -200 Zhang vs +172 Namajunas
- -400 Shevchenko vs +350 Andrade
- -125 Weidman vs +105 Hall
- -195 Crute vs +180 Smith
- -150 Brown vs +130 Oliveira
- -220 Grant vs +185 Sekulic
- -150 Allen vs +140 Roberson
- -220 Sabatini vs +185 Connelly
Usman vs Masvidal Predictions & Expert Picks
The main event will see Kamaru Usman defend his UFC Welterweight Championship against Jorge Masvidal.
This is a rematch from their bout in 2020; back then Masvidal had only a week’s notice before the night, now he has had ample time to prepare for the best 170lb fighter in the game.
Usman is still listed as the favorite in this contest, with our pick being ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ taking ‘Gamebred’ all the way to the judge’s scorecards after five rounds.
OddsCritic Pick: Usman wins via Decision at -120 (William Hill, BetMGM, Borgata)
Zhang vs Namajunas Predictions & Expert Picks
This is a potential Fight of The Year contender as Weili Zhang meeets Rose Namajunas in the co-main event.
The two Strawweight superstars come into this with respect but a difference in political belief which could spark fireworks early on.
Zhang is currently the favorite in this one, and we see her winning via TKO/KO.
OddsCritic Pick: Zhang wins via TKO/KO/DQ at +260 (FanDuel)
Allen vs Roberson Predictions & Expert Picks
There’s a huge chance of hitting paydirt on the undercard fight between Brendan Allen (-150) and Karl Roberson (+140).
Roberson is vulnerable to the takedown (pretty much every time) and Allen has the groundwork to quickly end the fight via submission.
OddsCritic Pick: Allen via Submission at +200 (William Hill)
What time does Usman vs Masvidal start?
The main fight card at UFC 261 starts at 2200 ET (1900 PT) on Saturday April 24. The main event between Usman and Masvidal will likely be up between 2330 ET and 0000 ET.
The prelim card figures to have a 2000 ET start (1700 PT).
How can I watch Usman vs Masvidal on TV?
If you want to watch Usman vs Masvidal and all of UFC 261 on TV or live stream it, the best deal is to buy a UFC Bundle for $89.98.
This means you’ll not only get the next PPV, but with it a year’s subscription to ESPN+, which airs the PPV shows.
Recent PPVs alone – including the Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier rematch – have retailed for $69.99 so this is pretty good value. The ESPN+ annual sub on its own is worth $59.99.