UFC 261 Results:
Kamaru Usman defeated Jorge Masvidal by KO in the second round, extending his UFC winning streak to 14, the second most of all-time behind Anderson Silva at 16.
Rose Namajunas reclaimed the strawweight title with a brutal head-kick KO against Weili Zhang, while Valentina Shevchenko defeated Jéssica Andrade to retain the flyweight title.
Kamaru Usman is the pound-for-pound king after another knockout win and relished the chance to perform in front of a full capacity crowd of 15,000, as well as his family.
African-American-born fighters just continue their dominance in UFC.
Kamaru Usman proved he is still getting better when he knocked out Jorge Masvidal, and Valentina Shevchenko made a case to be included in the GOAT conversation. Meanwhile, Rose Namajunas delivered once again in a big moment.
After beating his rival Jorge Masvidal — via a vicious right hand, the likes of which we’ve never seen from him before — in the main event of UFC 261, Kamaru Usman told Joe Rogan that he considers himself the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
And you know what? Now that Khabib Nurmagomedov has officially retired, I think he’s right.
I don’t think this is me being a prisoner of the moment. The man has a very strong case that is worth recognizing.
Let us count the ways:
He’s now won 18 consecutive overall and 14 straight in the UFC.
He has the second-best winning streak to start a UFC career (14) behind Anderson Silva’s 16 straight.
That was his fifth welterweight title fight victory, which now ties Pat Miletich for third-most wins in 170-pound title fights. Only legends Georges St-Pierre and Matt Hughes have more.
He’s been so dominant, he now has to fight the guys he’s already beaten again — Colby Covington, who he defeated in a classic back in December 2019, is next.
And perhaps most impressive of all? It still feels, after all these fights, like he’s getting better.
There was once a time where the fans — and let’s be honest, UFC president Dana White, too — felt like he played it safe way too often. This did not endear Usman to the public.
But that is no longer the case. He just handed Masvidal his second TKO loss ever (in Masvidal’s 50th pro fight) and his first since 2008. Amazingly, the last time Masvidal was stopped was in 2009, via submission. In other words, this doesn’t happen often.
Usman has turned into one of the most well-rounded fighters on the planet.
Hell, maybe even the best, too.
I’d put his recent resume up there with anyone’s, including Nurmagomedov’s.
And while I know it has bothered Usman in the past that he didn’t get the attention and love that some of the other stars in the UFC received, I don’t think he should worry about that anymore.
His fighting is doing the talking these days. His star is shining bright. The best appears yet to come for “The Nigerian Nightmare.”
Life is good — certainly more dream than nightmare — for the UFC’s new pound-for-pound king.
"I'm not an imposter. This is who I am."@Usman84kg believes he is the pound-for-pound king after another knockout win and relished the chance to perform in front of a crowd as well as his family.
Danny Segura host of Hablemos MMA Pocast and Contributor to MMA Junkie Reviews UFC 261 – SPANISH.
UFC Vegas 25 Preview:
The light heavyweight title picture could soon be shaken up.
Two-time championship challenger Dominick Reyes faces another stiff test on May 1 when he meets Czech sensation Jiri Prochazka in the UFC Vegas 25 main event.
Reyes (12-2) is coming off of the first two losses of his career, a close decision loss to then-champion Jon Jones at UFC 247, and a second-round TKO loss to Jan Blachowicz in a vacant light heavyweight title bout at UFC 253. Now he has to deal with the surging Prochazka, a former RIZIN champion who has won 11 straight fights.
OTHER FEATURED BOUTS:
CUB SWANSON vs. GIGA CHIKADZE AND (#12) MERAB DVALISHVILI vs. (#13) CODY STAMANN
NFL
#UFC261 pic.twitter.com/aT0Ii2xOkE
. #UFC261 pic.twitter.com/keNKUeI6xD
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@USMAN84kg | @RoseNamajunas | @P3Protein pic.twitter.com/Q5L3zzHHyq
