Sports
Usman knocks out Masvidal to retain UFC welterweight title
Kamaru Usman successfully defended his UFC welterweight title for the fourth time after knocking Jorge Masvidal out in the second round.
The ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ retained the undisputed UFC welterweight title at UFC 261 in Florida after a stunning second-round knockout.
The bout, which took place in front of 15,000 fans in Jacksonville, saw fans returned to fight for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic.
It was also a rematch of the duo’s meeting at UFC 251, where Masvidal stepped in on six days’ notice but lost out to Usman on the scorecards after five gruelling rounds.
Read Also: Usman wants UFC middleweight title – but only if Adesanya no longer champion
The pair engaged in a thrilling back-and-forth battle through round one, with Usman scoring a significant takedown midway through the round.
The bout exploded in round two when Usman connected with a huge straight right hand that sent Masvidal, 36, crashing to the canvas for a knockout victory.
The 33-year’old took his record to 19-1 and extended his unbeaten run to 18 fights, including 14 straight victories in the UFC.
“I know with my fundamentals, I am the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now,” said the Nigerian.
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