UFC 251 Highlights – How it all panned out…

The UFC Welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has defended his title with a unanimous victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 which was held on ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi.

The Emirate’s Yas Island has been transformed into a closed-off fight zone able to stage four UFC events in July after UFC President Dana White secured it.

After Gilbert Burns tested positive for COVID – 19, and got yanked off the main  event  which was supposed to be a bout   against the Nigerian Nightmare,  Kamaru Usman,  Masvidal was drafted in at six days notice to face the Nigerian.  But the American, Masvidal was no match for the Nigerian.

The 33-year-old Usman was successful in defending his belt  to earn scores of 50-45, 50-45, 49-46 from the three judges after five rounds in the octagon.

In the early exchanges, Masvidal was the obvious better striker. His speed, accuracy and reactions seemed to have stunned Usman.  He also did a good job evading Usman’s early takedown attempts.

But Usman was consistent with his attacks as he  often closed down the distance and  denied Masvidal the time and space to throw his strikes. Usman used his grappling skills to try and wear down Masvidal.

In the third round, Usman took down Masvidal in what came to chracterise most of the fight, as he continued to chop into his sides with strikes and ensured that the space between them was snuffed out.

Usman sustained the pattern and  thus ensure that  Masvidal’s much touted “resurrection” was cut short and that his promise of baptising Usman was confined to the dust bins of trash talk.  Masvidal,  who  had earned his shot after  Burns  got ruled out,  and who had earlier in 2019, secured stoppage victories over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz, proved to be no match for Usman’s fight IQ and skill sets.

Usman’s victory improved his record to 17-1 and extended his winning streak to 12 fights in the UFC.

“Jorge is a tough guy and I give him credit for that,” said Usman.

“They call him ‘Gamebred’ for a reason – he’s always game to fight. I’m just a level better. I have more tools in the toolbox.”

Volkanovski defeats Holloway to keep his featherweight title

In the co-main event of UFC 251, Alexander Volkanovski, 31, defeated Max Holloway to retain his featherweight title,  via a split-decision  of the judges, after five intense rounds with the former champion.

The Australian, Volkanovski, was dropped in the first 2 rounds by  Holloway,  with a head kick at the end of the opening round, and an uppercut at the end of the second.  He  had to fight back in the remaining 3 rounds to narrowly edge how his competitor.

In the 3rd round, Volkanovski  began to edge his way back into the fight , making that round a close call. But  in the 4th and 5th rounds, he dominated Holloway.

Volkanovski won  with scores of 47-48, 48-47 and 48-47 to extend his winning streak to 19 fights, including nine in the UFC.

“I knew it was two rounds apiece going into that last round. I had to win that last round,” said Volkanovski.

Petr Yan wins the bantamweight title

In the first title fight of the night, Russian bantamweight, Petr Yan, defeated two-time former featherweight champion Jose Aldo to capture the vacant bantamweight title.

Yan, 27,  scored 194 significant strikes – a UFC record – en route to a fifth-round TKO finish of Aldo as he joined lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov as Russia’s second UFC champion.

After the fight, Yan  showed some respect to Aldo.

“Aldo is a legend. I have only respect for him,” he said.