UFC 261 start time, who is fighting tonight at ‘Usman vs Masvidal 2’ in Jacksonville Apr 24, 2021, 10:35am EDT
If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.
Share this story
Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is returning to the pay-per-view (PPV) business later tonight (Sat., April 24, 2021), and it’s going to be a big one. UFC 261 will feature a highly-anticipated rematch between current Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and “BMF” title holder, Jorge Masvidal. In the co-main event, Zhang Weili puts her Strawweight strap on the line against Rose Namajunas, while Valentina Shevchenko will defend her women’s Flyweight title against Jessica Andrade. To top it off, it will be the first event to allow a full house of fans to attend since the COVID-19 pandemic started to run rampant on the world in March 2020.
0 of 4
Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
Jorge Masvidal, Zhang Weili and Valentina Shevchenko highlight a title fight triple header to close out UFC 261 from Jacksonville, Florida.
Masvidal will get a second crack at Kamaru Usman in the main event. Gamebred took on the champion on extremely short notice at UFC 251 after Gilbert Burns was forced off the card days before the event.
Rose Namajunas will get a chance at the strawweight belt. She will be the second consecutive former champion who Zhang will look to keep away from the strap. She put on a Fight of the Decade contender against Joanna Jedrzejczyk last time out and could be in for another classic against Namajunas.
UFC 261 - New Blood: China's next MMA generation ... and Jeff mmamania.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from mmamania.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
When Is UFC 261? Date, Time, PPV Schedule and How to Watch Masvidal vs Usman 2
On 4/24/21 at 12:00 PM EDT
Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal headline a stacked card at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday as the sport holds its first event in front of a crowd with no capacity limit.
Usman will look to defend his UFC welterweight title in the rematch against Masvidal, whom he defeated by unanimous decision at UFC 251 last year.
For once, however, the bout could be overshadowed by the size of the crowd, which is set to command the lion s share of attention. Almost exactly a year on since shutting its doors because of the coronavirus pandemic, UFC 261 will be the first event hosted in front of a crowd with no capacity limit since UFC 248 in March last year.
UFC 261 viewers guide -- Three title fights, a full house and Masvidal's chance at redemption espn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from espn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.