UFC 261 results: Usman starches Masvidal, Namajunas stuns world

Big smiles will fill the faces of the UFC brass this morning after UFC 261 blew audiences away with a night filled with blockbuster moments. Fans returned for the first time since the pandemic started, they broke the arena gate record and we got three title fights that gave us exactly what we expected and more!

Headlining the card, Kamaru Usman showed fans exactly why he’s the ”Nigerian Nightmare” as he finished Jorge Masvidal in brutal fashion. Defending his title for the fifth time, Kamaru Usman further cemented himself as one of the best pound for pound fighters on the planet. Controlling the fight from the start, Usman attempted and scored two takedowns and stayed in control through out the first round. It was early on in the second round that spectators jaws dropped as Kamaru Usman landed a clean right cross, knocking Masvidal down before applying the finishing strikes. This was the first time Jorge Masvidal has ever been knocked out in his UFC career:

“He showed me something that he didn’t show the first fight [when] I didn’t feel his power. That’s what happens when you get overconfident. I thought we were going to wrestle more and I was ready to wrestle for 25 minutes but all the props in the world to him. He has got my number. There is nothing more to say. He won this fair and square and God bless him.” Masvidal said during his post fight interview.

China’s first UFC Champion Weili Zhang was out to make her second title defence of the women’s 115lb strap against Rose Namajunas. After her fight of the year bout with Joanna Jedrzejczyk, fans were heavily leaning towards Zhang to dismantle ”Thug” Rose and they could not have been more wrong. Early in the opening round after a light back and forth, Rose throws a lead left kick to the head of Zhang, sending her to the canvas before Rose could jump in and apply the finishing blows. This victory makes Rose Namajunas the only two time Strawweight champion in UFC history.

The first title fight that blessed our screens was the UFC women’s flyweight championship, and yet again, champion Valentina Shevchenko showed the world why she is one of the best to ever do it. Dominating in every fight she’s had at 125lbs so far, Saturday nights fight with Jessica Andrade was no exception. During the first round, Andrade was out struck and out grappled by the champion and the misery continued into the second. After yet again being taken down, Shevchenko transitions into a crucifix and reigns heavy elbows down on Andrade forcing Dan Miragliotta to step in and wave the fight off.

The opening bouts displayed two different ends of the scale when it comes to leg injuries. Jimmy Crute was defeated by Anthony Smith in the first round due to a doctor stoppage after Crute couldn’t stand on his leg. Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman was the other bout on the main card which ended in horrifying fashion. In the opening seconds of the fight, Weidman throws a leg kick at Hall which consequently caused Weidman’s leg to break, in an eerily similar fashion to Anderson Silva back at UFC 168.

You can check the official results in full from UFC 261 below:

Kamaru Usman def. Jorge Masvidal via TKO – Round 2

Rose Namajunas def. Weili Zhang via KO – Round 1

Valentina Shevchenko def. Jessica Andrade via TKO – Round 2

Uriah Hall def. Chris Weidman via TKO (injury) – Round 1

Anthony Smith def. Jimmy Crute via TKO (doctor stoppage) – Round 1

Randy Brown def. Alex Oliveira via submission – Round 1

Dwight Grant def. Stefan Sekulic via split decision

Brendan Allen def. Karl Roberson via submission – Round 1

Patrick Sabatini def. Tristan Connelly via unanimous decision

Danaa Batgerel def. Kevin Natividad via TKO – Round 1

Kazula Vargas def. Rong Zhu via unanimous decision

Jeffrey Molina def. Aoriqileng via unanimous decision 

Ariane Carnelossi def. Na Liang via TKO – Round 2