Fights and Fireworks: What Went Down at UFC 261

With advancements in the COVID-19 vaccine, some states in the US are slowly reopening. Last April 24, 2021, in Jacksonville, Florida, UFC 261 was held to a record number crowd inside Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena. This event was the first major UFC event that saw crowds welcomed indoors to witness the fights since the pandemic went global. 

Since this was a special event, the crowd was treated with many fights that ended in knockouts and stoppages. Of the card’s entirety of 13 matches, only four matches went to a decision. 7 fights were decided via TKO or KO, and two ended with a submission. Truly a night of memorable finishes, almost every match had future ramifications within the UFC rankings. If you’re one of the few who missed the event, read on. 

Anthony Smith vs. Jimmy Crute

With the up-and-coming Jimmy Crute favored to win this bout, many people were expecting an easy win for him. However, Light Heavyweight veteran and contender Anthony Smith showed otherwise. In a display of marvelous boxing, Smith stood up Crute, lighting him up with stiff jabs and straights. However, a kick behind the knee from Smith would down the upstart Crute. 

After a few nail-biting seconds, the bell ended the round. It became apparent that the kick from Smith did the damage. Doctors immediately went to Crute and checked for injuries. Crute could be seen shouting and urging to fight on. However, the ring doctor and even the audience could see that Crute had barely enough strength to stand properly on the damaged leg. 

Result: Anthony Smith def. Jimmy Crute at the end of round 1(5:00) via TKO(doctor stoppage).

Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman

Both fighters had a lot going into the fight, with Hall looking to avenge his first-ever knockout loss in the UFC and Weidman looking for another title run. The match started normally; however, things took a turn, a horrible one at that, in the first seconds of the match.

In a cruel twist of fate, Chris Weidman threw a kick that Uriah Hall checked, breaking Weidman’s leg. Weidman immediately fell to the ground, writhing in pain. It could be remembered that Anderson Silva also suffered a similar injury versus Weidman back in 2013. Words aren’t enough to describe the horror for those who witnessed the injury. If you want news from the world of MMA, you can check out the Latest UFC Updates from FanDuel.

Result: Uriah Hall def. Chris Weidman in round 1(0:17) via TKO(leg injury).

© Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jéssica Andrade

Going into the match, Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina “Bullet” Shevchenko was looking to continue cementing her legacy as one of the best fighters in the world. To do this, she had to make it through Jéssica “Bate Estaca” Andrade, a former world champion in her own right.

As the match went on, incredible takedown defense and accurate striking from Shevchenko were too strong for Andrade to handle. In the late minutes of the 2nd round, Bullet landed a takedown on Andrade. While on the ground, the champion landed huge elbows that bloodied her opponent. The referee then stepped in to prevent further damage to the challenger.

Result: Valentina Shevchenko def. Jéssica Andrade in round 2(3:19) via TKO(elbows)

© Zhang Weili vs. Rose Namajunas

Before starting the match, a confident Namajunas could be heard screaming, “I’m the best!” while a chorus of boos was directed to Zhang. After the ring sounded, round 1 was on the way. After a few exchanges, no one was able to predict what would happen next.

Standing up, Namajunas threw a leg kick that seemingly confused the champion. Instead of blocking high, the champion blocked low, thinking that the challenger threw a body kick. Zhang was dead wrong as the kick landed square on her jaw. The kick dropped the champion, and Namajunas swarmed the downed champion with finishing blows to become the women’s flyweight champion once again. 

Result: Rose Namajunas def. Zhang Weili in round 1(1:18) via KO(head kick)

© Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal

Kamaru “The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman versus Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal was billed as one of the most explosive fights of the year. It would be the champion who would have the last say to this exciting rematch.

Going into the fight, Masvidal had already pushed the champion, Usman, to 5 rounds in their previous meeting. Although Masvidal lost that fight, many fight experts commended him for pushing the champion to the deep waters, despite having a limited training camp and two weeks’ notice. Now with a full training camp, Masvidal was looking to grab the title from Usman.

Motivated to prove naysayers wrong, Usman showed just how great he was. Although Masvidal had a solid chin and threw back, Usman’s elite-level boxing stunned him. It was a straight right from the champ that violently knocked out the challenger. After the fight, Usman addressed the hostile crowd and said: “Jacksonville, Florida, you all said you wanted violence? You’re welcome.“

Result: Kamaru Usman def. Jorge Masvidal in round 2(1:02) via KO(punch)

Final Thoughts

As mentioned earlier, the results of UFC 261 will have a big impact on the world rankings. Zhang has been dethroned as champion with Namajunas immediately taking the top spot in the Women’s Strawweight division. 

Champions Schevchenko and Usman are now on their way to become the greatest fighters in the UFC. For those who won, their rankings will go up. However, for those who lost, the climb will be tough as they look to claw their way back to contention.