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Though the UFC had already been the first significant sports entity to return with recurring shows at its Apex facility in Las Vegas and Fight Island in the United Arab Emirates, something was clearly missing.
That s not the case anymore.
The octagonal mixed martial arts conglomerate welcomed about 15,000 ready-to-burst fans into Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday night, confirming the WE ARE BACK! claim that czar Dana White had tweeted upon announcing the show in early March.
Indeed, UFC 261 went off as a 13-bout show featuring three title fights atop a crowded bill, including a welterweight championship rematch between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal that was a runback of a match on Fight Island last summer that Masvidal famously took on less than a week s notice.
Welcome to F4WOnline.com s live coverage of UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2, emanating from the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Octagon is back in front of a full arena of UFC fans for the first time since March 2020, and they are treated to a stacked card featuring three title fights.
In the main event, UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman defends against his rival, Jorge Masvidal. It is a rematch from UFC 251 in July, which was won by Usman by unanimous decision. However, Masvidal took that fight on just a week s notice, something he has consistently reminded everyone of, and Usman asked for a rematch with Masvidal on a full training camp to show that the result would be no different.
UFC 261 – Usman Vs Masvidal LIVE on Sony LIV, fight card, date, India Time, LIVE Streaming, All you need to know about UFC 261
UFC 261 Results Live: Kamaru Usman explosive display, defeat Jorge Masvidal via 2nd round Technical Knock out: Kamaru Usman registered a massive knockout victory over Jorge Masvidal to retain his Welterweigth title. In another headline bout, Former champion Rose Namajunas has defeated China’s Zhang Weili via first round knockout. Zhang was returning for the first time since her epic bout with Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Zhang was knocked out in the 1st round via head kick by Namajunas.
Kamaru Usman (c) vs. Jorge Masvidal Round 2: Masvidal threw a few more leg kicks early in the round, landing a few of them solidly. Both fighters missed with overhand rights and Usman landed a bomb of a right moments later, folding Masvidal to the canvas. Usman flurried with hammerfists and the fight was over. A MASSIVE knockout victory for Usman.
Canada s Tristan (Boondock) Connelly beaten at UFC 261 after 19-month absence
Tristan Connelly is seen during the UFC official weight in in Richmond, B.C., Friday, Sept. 13, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward April 24, 2021 - 5:54 PM
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Canadian featherweight Tristan (Boondock) Connelly, returning after a 19-month absence, rallied late but lost a decision to American Pat Sabatini on the UFC 261 undercard Saturday.
The judges scored it 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for the 30-year-old Sabatini, a former collegiate wrestler at Rider University who holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Daniel Gracie.
Sabatini (14-3-0) won his UFC debut by outgrappling Connelly, a black belt in BJJ in his own right.
UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2 results and post-fight analysis
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Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
What a night. What a card!
UFC 261 marked the promotion’s first show with a full set of fans in over a year and this event had everything. We had great fights, great finishes, even a mediocre fight with a dramatic ending, Jake Paul getting booed and confronting Daniel Cormier, nasty injuries, the whole shebang. Everything excepts fans wearing masks. (I kid. maybe)
The main event took everyone’s breath away not because the outcome of Kamaru Usman winning was a shock, but how he did it. Usman was a bit sloppy with his power punches in round one but in round two he uncorked a picture-perfect right hand that floored Masvidal and frankly knocked him out before he hit the ground. Herb Dean was not satisfied that Masvidal was wiped out and Usman needed hammerfists to put Jorge to sleep. Do you realize the last time Masvidal got knocked out? Rodrigo Damm back in 2008! And h