Usman tops Masvidal on UFC card that has its gruesome moments
Jacksonville, Fla. — A packed house. A raucous crowd. Celebrity sightings. Stunning upsets. Spectacular finishes. Broken bones. Blood, sweat and tears.
UFC 261 returned a sense of normalcy to the sports world Saturday night with one of its craziest events in years. Billed as the first full-fledged sporting event since the coronavirus pandemic altered the world more than a year ago, it delivered more than even its staunchest promoter imagined.
“I don't think it gets any better than tonight,” UFC President Dana White said. “You couldn't have a better night. … It was amazing. The crowd was amazing. The fights were amazing.”
Kamaru Usman ended the event by winning his 18th straight bout and retaining his welterweight belt. Usman knocked out Jorge Masvidal with a right punch to the jaw early in the second round, silencing a pro-Masvidal crowd.
Usman's knockout victory was his third in his last four fights, further showcasing his impressive versatility and an ability to adjust tactics during bouts. The former NCAA Division II wrestler had only one knockout victory in his first 10 UFC fights before he stopped Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns and Masvidal with punches in the past 18 months.
“Jacksonville, Florida, you said you wanted violence. You're welcome,” Usman said.
Usman's 18 consecutive MMA victories include 14 straight wins since joining the UFC in 2015. Only Anderson Silva's streak of 16 straight UFC wins is longer in the promotion's history.
It was the last of three title bouts, but hardly the most surprising.
Rose “Thug” Namajunas (114) stunned Zhang Weili (21-2) to take the strawweight belt. Namajunas sent Zhang to the canvas with a left foot to the face, and the bout was stopped at the 1:18 mark of the opening round.
Namajunas broke down in tears in the octagon as she became the first woman in UFC history to recapture a championship belt.
Zhang erupted in anger, clearly upset with the referee's decision to stop the fight. Replays showed how vicious the kick was, but Zhang insisted she never lost consciousness.
Flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko (21-3) totally dominated Jessica Andrade (21-9) to retain her belt, slamming Andrade to the canvas three times in two rounds. She eventually won a TKO after a series of bludgeoning blows to Andrade's head and ear.
The main card's first two fights ended with significant leg injuries, the second more gruesome than the first.
Chris “The All-American” Weidman snapped his right leg kicking Uriah Hall in the opening seconds of the bout. Weidman seemingly made it worse when he tried to stand on his broken bone. He crumpled to the canvas in pain.
Medical personnel rushed to put his leg in an air cast as Hall struggled to maintain his composure on the other side of the octagon. Weidman was eventually carried out of the cage on a stretcher. He was scheduled to have surgery Sunday.
“I've got nothing but respect for Weidman,” Hall said. “He's truly one of the best . ... It's the sucky part of the sport. It's a hurt business.”
Minutes earlier, Anthony Smith connected with Jim Crute's left leg and left him struggling to stand. Crute hobbled to his corner between rounds and tried to come back out for the second, but doctors stopped the fight after preliminary diagnosing it as a torn knee ligament. “I couldn't feel my leg,” Crute said. “I couldn't stand on it.”