It’s time for another trip to Fight Island. On Saturday, July 11, Karamu Usman will step into the octagon with Jorge Masvidal for UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal.
Masvidal replaces Gilbert Burns for the match, after Burns tested positive for COVID-19 and was removed from the night’s title fight card. Masvidal joins the fight after just a few days’ notice, but as the newly-minted BMF champion, who has the support of none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Masvidal clearly hopes to have a shot at Usman’s welterweight championship belt.
In fact, Masvidal has been looking forward to taking on Usman for quite some time and has had no compunction about downplaying Usman’s talents in the ring. However, Usman isn’t underestimating his opponent’s chances on Saturday.
On Thursday, Usman told reporters in Abu Dhabi, “He’s the best out of each and every one of [my previous opponents] … He’s the next guy in front of me. He’s the toughest guy in front of me, so I don’t take him lightly. I’m going out there with all my thoughts, the thought that he’s the best opponent that I have faced today, and I have to go out there and treat him accordingly.” However, Usman also expressed excitement about the opportunity to fight Masvidal, saying, “I can’t wait. I think this is the fight that people wanted, and it’s the fight that people are getting.”
We’ll have to wait until Saturday to find out which of these MMA fighters walks away victorious, but here are some need-to-know details about the event, including how to watch and which other fights are on the full card.
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How to watch: UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal will take place at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 11, with the main card starting at 10 p.m. ET. Fans can catch the early preliminaries starting at 6 p.m. ET, with the preliminaries beginning at 8 p.m. ET. Audiences can tune in live via ESPN+. Current ESPN+ subscribers can order the fight for $65; new subscribers can get an ESPN+ annual plan plus access to UFC 251 for $85.
Who else is on the main card: Karamu Usman and Jorge Masvidal will be the main event, representing the welterweight division. The co-main event for the evening is Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway; the title bout for bantamweight is Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo; in the women’s starweight class are Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajuna; and Amanda Ribas and Paige VanZant will face off in the women’s flyweight division.
UFC 251: Usman vs. Masvidal will air exclusively on ESPN+ on Saturday, July 11 at 10 p.m. ET.
Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal