UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal betting odds, preview, and pick
April 20th, 2021
Kamaru Usman (18-1) and Jorge Masvidal (35-14) look to settle the score once and for all in the main event of UFC 261 on Saturday, April 24. The bad blood between these two should be all over the cage, and we have the betting odds and preview you need before the fight gets underway.
Usman won’t need to make adjustments
Usman comes into this rematch after a brilliant dismantling of Gilbert Burns last February. Displaying a more focused striking attack, Usman scored a third-round TKO before turning his attention to Masvidal.
This is a rematch of their one-sided bout at UFC 251, in which Usman bullied Masvidal and controlled every facet of the match. "The Nigerian Nightmare" smothered his opponent and worked Masvidal over for extended portions in the clinch.
Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal tale of the tape
| Kamaru Usman | ----- | Jorge Masvidal |
|---|
18-1 | Record | 35-14 |
33 | Age | 36 |
6'0" | Height | 5'11" |
77.5" | Reach | 73" |
5-0 | Last 5 Fights | 3-2 |
Conditioning | Key Intangibles | Striking |
Masvidal must goad Usman into a striking match
Despite being dominated in their first bout, Masvidal’s marketability and the built-in excuse of having less than a week to prepare got him here. While Masvidal believes a full training camp will make a difference, he’s a bigger underdog ahead of the rematch.
Masvidal’s bread and butter is his striking. Seeing how sharp Usman looked against Burns, opting to work behind a snappy jab, Masvidal might find an advantage if the champion tries to outdo him at his own game.
Usman will dismantle Masvidal
There is no amount of time for Masvidal to properly prepare for Usman. The defending champ could walk into the octagon with the exact same strategy from their first fight and have similar success.
This time, Usman is going to aim to finish this within the distance. He’ll try to crowd Masvidal against the cage like the first fight, but will bomb him out as opposed to grinding him down.
When things start to go south for Masvidal, he’ll be too prideful to run out the clock. There might be some fierce exchanges as Masvidal tries to establish his offense, but he’ll punch himself out and be a sitting duck, and Usman intends on making a statement.
Expect Masvidal to put up a more spirited effort, but the depth in class between these two fighters remains the same as during their first bout. Usman won’t hesitate to put Masvidal out this time, and he’ll be able to land enough shots to do just that, ending this fight in the fourth round.
MMA pick: Usman
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