The UFC odds for the next big MMA event are already out. Let’s have a look at the UFC 261 Odds and UFC 261 betting picks.
The next UFC pay-per-view event is set for Saturday, April 24th. It will be held at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida with the main event being the Welterweight Title Bout. In this fight, current welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will square off against Jorge Masvidal
The odds for the UFC 261 are now available. The odds were last updated on April 23, 2021:
| 1st Fighter |  | | 2nd Fighter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jorge Masvidal | 3.20 | 1.25 | Kamaru Usman |
| Rose Namajunas | 2.65 | 1.54 | Weilli Zhang |
| Jessica Andrade | 2.20 | 1.24 | Valentina Shevchenko |
| Anthony Smith | 1.70 | 1.53 | Jimmy Crute |
| Chris Weidman | 1.95 | 1.87 | Uriah Hall |
| Jeff Molina | 1.91 | 1.91 | Qileng Ahora |
| Karl Roberson | 2.20 | 1.77 | Brendan Allen |
| Na Liang | 2.20 | 1.67 | Ariane Carnelossi |
| Rodrigo Vargas | 2.85 | 1.40 | Zhu Rong |
| Kevin Natividad 2.20 | 2.20 | 1.67 | Danaa Batgerel |
This card will also feature two other title bouts—the Women’s Strawweight Title Bout and the Women’s Flyweight Title Bout.
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Zhang Weili, aka ‘Magnum’, looks to have the edge as she tries to defend the strawweight title, boasting a very impressive 21-1-0 lifetime record. Her competitor Rose Namajunas, aka ‘Thug’, is certainly no slouch either as she currently sits #1 atop the UFC Women’s Strawweight Rankings.
Before that, Jessica Andrade, aka ‘Bate Estaca’, will do her best to bring the flyweight title home to Brazil. This will be no easy feat as she’s set to take on Valentina Shevchenko, aka ‘Bullet’, who has a formidable 19-3-0 record and will do whatever it takes to defend her title.
This card will definitely be a treat, so be sure to tune in! While you’re at it, why not place a bet to make things more interesting for yourself? Our in-house MMA betting experts are chomping at the bit in anticipation and would love to share their picks, so let’s get started.
But before we do, we’d like to issue a friendly reminder to ALWAYS remember to check UFC news early and often. Illness and injury are always possible, especially in a world where any fighter can contract COVID-19 at any time. Despite taking precautions.
Click here To view the full UFC fight night itinerary.
UFC 261 Picks & Predictions
Let’s begin by taking a look at all of the scheduled fights for UFC 261. This fight schedule will be accurate when this article is released, but again, news changes early and often. Make sure you have your finger on the pulse so that you don’t miss a thing!
UFC 260: Main Fights
- Kamaru Usman (18-1-0) vs. Jorge Masvidal (35-14-0)
- Zhang Weili (21-1-0) vs. Rose Namajunas (9-4-0)
- Valentina Shevchenko (20-3-0) vs. Jessica Andrade (21-8-0)
- Chris Weidman (15-5-0) vs. Uriah Hall (16-9-0)
- Anthony Smith (34-16-0) vs. Jimmy Crute (12-1-0)
- Randy Brown (12-4-0) vs. Alex Oliveira (22-9-1)
- Brendan Allen (15-4-0) vs. Karl Roberson (9-3-0)
- Danaa Batgerel (8-2-0) vs. Kevin Natividad (9-2-0)
- Jeff Molina (8-2-0) vs. Qileng Aori (18-6-0)
- Johnny Munoz Jr. (10-1-0) vs. Jamey Simmons (7-3-0)
- Zhu Rong (17-3-0) vs. Rodrigo Vargas (11-4-0)
- Dwight Grant (10-3-0) vs. Stefan Sekulic (12-3-0)
- Ariane Carnelossi (12-2-0) vs. Na Liang (15-4-0)
Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal
This isn’t the first time these two fighters have squared off at the main event. Their last meeting was at UFC 251 from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. The fight lasted all five rounds and Usman was declared the victor by unanimous decision, after managing to neutralize Masvidal.
During that fight, Masvidal had a very strong opening round. He unleashed a barrage of quick strikes and was able to recover from an early takedown by Usman. From the second round onward, however, Usman took hold of the match as Masvidal wasn’t able to adjust his pace or style in time.
Some may chalk that victory up to the lack of a full training camp, as Masvidal accepted the challenge when it was less than a week away. Usman was actually originally scheduled to fight Gilbert Burns, however, he had to pull out due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Many expect Masvidal to win as other American Top Team members have in the past, but my money is definitely on Usman. He didn’t have a full camp either, as he was training to fight Burns prior to the last-minute switch. But Usman held his own and proved to be a lot more technically sound than his opponent throughout the bout.
Pick Usman to win this fight. This match will likely go the distance, which will benefit his style.
Zhang Weili vs Rose Namajunas
This will certainly be a fight for the ages as #1 takes on #2. As previously mentioned, Zhang Weili only has one career loss in 22 matches, which is certainly something to consider. Especially since that loss was her first-ever fight back in 2013.
She became the Women’s Strawweight Champion in style during UFC Fight Night on August 31st, 2019. She handed Jessica Andrade her first loss in over two years, only requiring 42 seconds of the first round to record a TKO and take her title. This was Andrade’s first title defence bout, so the win was especially significant.
Weili has never faced her upcoming opponent, Rose Namajunas. Namajunas will surely be chomping at the bit for the opportunity. After all, it was Namajunas who held the strawweight belt before suffering a knockout against the aforementioned Jessica Andrade at UFC 237 back in 2019.
Before that, Namajunas had won the belt in 2017 and successfully defended it in 2018. Both fights were against Joanna Jędrzejczyk. Now, she finally has a chance to make that happen in what is the definition of a statement match for her. Earning the title back AND beating Weili would certainly be a career-defining moment.
Despite Weili’s track record, there’s a lot to like about picking Namajunas to win.
Thank you for tuning into our picks for UFC 261. Below, you will find the top available sportsbooks. Find the one that suits you, and wager away!
