UPDATE: Highlights, updates results from full UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal card
After spending a month at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the UFC will head to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi for UFC 251 and a trio of world title fights.
The event will kick off " Fight Island" as the UFC relocates to Abu Dhabi in an effort to stage events featuring international fighters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The fully stacked card is headlined by UFC welterweight champion Kamau Usman making his second title defense against rival Jorge Masvidal.
Usman is coming off of a 2019 campaign that saw him end Tyron Woodley's title reign in dominant fashion at UFC 235 and followed that performance with a fifth-round TKO of Colby Covington at UFC 245.
Masvidal steps in on short notice to replace Gilbert Burns, who tested positive for COVID-19 a week before the fight. This comes after Masvidal and the UFC were in a standoff regarding fighter pay, and the MMA promotion decided to go with Burns as Usman's opponent on "Fight Island." However, with the UFC in a bind due to Burns' positive coronavirus test, Masvidal reentered the picture, and the two sides quickly came to an agreement.
It's the fight everyone wanted as Usman and Masvidal have been embroiled in a heated feud since January, when the two were involved in a shouting match on media row during Super Bowl week in Miami.
Now they will get to settle their differences as the UFC welterweight champion faces the "BMF" titleholder.
In the co-main event, Alexander Volkanovski looks to prove that his upending of Max Holloway for the UFC featherweight championship in December was no fluke when he takes on arguably the greatest 145-pounder the UFC has ever seen in a rematch. Volkanovski has yet to taste defeat in the UFC and will look to get his ninth straight victory. Holloway enters the fight losing two of his past three fights after winning 13 straight from 2014 to 2019. Can Holloway get revenge and regain the title, or is Volkanovski the true king of the featherweight division?
In the third title fight, Petr Yan and former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo will battle for the vacant UFC bantamweight championship that Henry Cejudo relinquished when he retired in May.
Aside from the title fights, UFC 251 will also feature a rematch between a pair of former women's strawweight champions as Rose Namajunas will look to get her revenge against the woman who took the title from her when she faces Jessica Andrade. Paige VanZant competes in what she has called the most important fight of her career when she faces Amanda Ribas.
Here is everything you need to know about UFC 251, including the time, odds, full fight card info and how to watch the event.
What time is UFC 251: Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal?
- Date: Saturday, July 11
- Early prelims: 6 p.m. ET | 3 p.m. PT
- Prelims: 8 p.m. ET | 5 p.m. PT
- PPV main card: 10 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. PT
- Usman vs. Masvidal fight: 12:15 a.m. ET (approx.)
UFC 251 takes place Saturday, July 11, with the main card beginning at 10 p.m. ET, which is 6 a.m. local time in Abu Dhabi. Usman and Masvidal are expected to hit the Octagon about 12:15 a.m. ET, although the exact time depends on the length of the earlier fights.
How to watch UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal TV, live stream info
In the United States, the UFC Fight Pass prelims, beginning at 6 p.m. ET, will be simulcast on UFC Fight Pass, ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ in English and Spanish. The prelims will continue exclusively on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. The ESPN+ pay-per-view main card will kick off at 10 p.m. ET.
In Canada, the early prelims are on UFC Fight Pass and TSN, the prelims are on TSN and RDS, and the PPV main card (10 p.m. ET) is available on Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus and Eastlink, as well as UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
In Australia, the early prelims and prelims are on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN, and the PPV main card, at 2 p.m./12 p.m. AEST/AWST (Sunday), is on Main Event and Fetch TV, plus UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
In Brazil, the prelims and main card (11 p.m. BRT) are on Combate.
In the UK and Ireland, the early prelims are on UFC Fight Pass, the prelims are on UFC Fight Pass and BT Sport, and the main card is available at 3 a.m. BST (Sunday) on BT Sport.
In Germany, Spain and Italy, the early prelims and prelims are on UFC Fight Pass, and the main card is available at 4 a.m. CET (Sunday) on DAZN, the global sports streaming service, and UFC PPV on UFC Fight Pass.
You can learn more about how to watch in other countries at UFC.com.
How much does UFC 251 cost? PPV price for Usman vs. Masvidal
In the U.S., the main card of UFC 251 is available via pay per view on ESPN+, which also requires a subscription. The PPV price for UFC 251 is $64.99 for current subscribers. For new subscribers, a bundle price of UFC 251 and an ESPN+ annual subscription is $84.98.
Pricing globally varies, depending on region and platform.
Where is UFC 251?
The UFC and the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced last month that UFC 251 and three UFC Fight Nights will take place on Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island, located just to the east of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
One of the emirate’s most popular leisure entertainment destinations, Yas Island also has hosted the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009 at Yas Marina Circuit.
There will not be fans in attendance because of the coronavirus pandemic.Usman vs. Masvidal odds for UFC 251
According to FanDuel, Usman is listed as a -245 favorite, meaning that you would need to bet $245 to win $100. Meanwhile, Masvidal is the underdog at +200, meaning a $100 bet would net you $200.
Kamaru Usman record, bio
- Name: Kamaru Usman
- Nationality: Nigerian & American
- Born: May 11, 1987
- Height: 6-0
- Reach: 76"
- Total fights: 17
- Record: 16-1
Jorge Masvidal record, bio
- Name: Jorge Masvidal
- Nationality: American
- Born: Nov. 12, 1984
- Height: 5-11
- Reach: 74"
- Total fights: 48
- Record: 35-13
UFC 251 fight card
Main card
- Kamaru Usman (c) vs. Jorge Masvidal for the UFC Welterweight Championship
- Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Max Holloway for the UFC Featherweight Championship
- Petr Yan vs. José Aldo for the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship
- Jéssica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas; Women's Strawweight
- Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant; Women's Flyweight
Prelims
- Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jiří Procházka; Light Heavyweight
- Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Muslim Salikhov; Welterweight
- Makwan Amirkhani vs. Danny Henry; Featherweight
- Leonardo Santos vs. Roman Bogatov; Lightweight
UFC Fight Pass Prelims
- Marcin Tybura vs. Maxim Grishin; Heavyweight
- Raulian Paiva vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov; Flyweight
- Karol Rosa vs. Vanessa Melo; Women's Bantamweight
- Davey Grant vs. Martin Day; Bantamweight