The UFC kicks off Fight Island with a banger of a card. Three title fights headline UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi and the card got a serious last minute upgrade.
One week out from the event, welterweight contender Gilbert Burns had to withdraw from his championship bout after a positive test for COVID-19. Welterweight Jorge Masvidal stepped in on short notice to fight champion Kamaru Usman, but the big hurdle was whether he'd make weight on such short notice.
After making weight, the title bout is official.
Masvidal's popularity has exploded since a stunning five-second knockout of Ben Askren and defeating Nate Diaz for the "BMF" title at Madison Square Garden last year.
Usman wrestled in college at University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Other title fights see featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski putting his belt on the line against former champion Max Holloway. Petr Yan and Jose Aldo will fight for the vacant bantamweight title. If Aldo were to win, he'd join an elite club of fighters to win a title in two different weight classes.
Main PPV Card
News
Kamaru Usman (170) vs. Jorge Masvidal (170) - welterweight title
Alexander Volkanovski (145) vs. Max Holloway (145) - featherweight title
Petr Yan (135) vs. Jose Aldo (135) - bantamweight title
Jessica Andrade (115) vs. Rose Namajunas (116)
Amanda Ribas (126) vs. Paige VanZant (126)
Prelim Card
Volkan Oezdemir (205.5) vs. Jiri Prochazka (205)
Elizeu Zaleski (171) vs. Muslim Salikhov (171)
Makwan Amirkhani (146) vs. Danny Henry (146)
Leonardo Santos (156) vs. Roman Bogatov (155.5)
Early Prelims
Marcin Tybura (252) vs. Maxim Grishin (223)
Raulian Paiva (129)* vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (126)
Karol Rosa (136) vs. Vanessa Melo (141)*
Davey Grant (136) vs. Martin Day (136)
* - missed weight