The UFC takes to the beaches of Fight Island this weekend with a tantalising title fight between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal. Read on to discover the stories and narratives surrounding Satuday's MMA event - UFC 251.
UFC 251 - where and when?
UFC 251 will take place behind closed doors on Saturday, July 11 on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island.
Early prelims kick off at 6-8 pm ET in the US (11pm-1am BST UK time), with prelims set to follow at 8-10 pm ET, while the main card is expected to start at around 10pm ET / 7pm PT / 3am BST.
ESPN+ is your place to watch in the US and we have further details below.
Boasting no less than three title fights on its card, UFC 251 is offering up what looks set to be one of MMA's most memorable night's of action.
While it's headline act may feature a last minute replacement in the form of Jorge Masvidal, his face off with Kamaru Usman with the latter's welterweight title on the line is a long-awaited match-up for Octagon fans that many thought would never happen.
The fight marks Usman’s second title defense since winning the belt at UFC 235. The "Nigerian Nightmare" has never lost in the UFC and is on a 15-fight win streak. But could fan's favourite Masvidal, who was drafted in last week as Usman's opponent after Gilbert Burns tested positive for Covid-19, finally win the title he has longed for?
Read on to discover all you need to know about UFC 251 or, if you just want to know where to watch the event from your corner of the globe, head straight on over to our UFC 251 live stream info page.
Who are Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman?
Born in Auchi, Nigeria and now based out of Fort Lauderdale in Florida, Kamaru Usman's background in college wrestling has served him well, with his formidable floor skills taking him to the heights of MMA as UFC welterweight champ. The 33-year-old has also shown he can also fight on his feet, with his striking skills shown off in devastating style during his first title defence against Colby Covington at UFC 245.
Usman's last five fights have all gone into the final round, with four of them decided by unanimous decision, so another gruelling exhibition from the Octagon could well be on the cards this weekend.
Often referred to as Street Jesus, Jorge Masvidal currently stands alongside Conor McGregor as the sport's biggest draw. The 35-year-old from Miami has has made his name as a sharp boxer with an impressive height and lethal jab. He comes into the fight off the back of the best 18 months of his career, nothing up stoppage victories against Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz.
Who is the favorite to win the Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal?
With Masvidal only having six days to prepare and and Usman in seemingly unstoppable form, the defending champ comes into this fight as the clear favorite with the bookies. But then again, anything can happen when Masvidal is in the Octagon...
When did Usman and Masvidal last step into the cage?
Usman's last Octagon appearance came in his second defence of his title against Colby Covington at UFC 245 in December. The brutal clash set a new record for the latest finish ever in a UFC welterweight fight.
Masvidal last fight came in November at UFC 244 in New York with a now infamous encounter against Nate Diaz, which ended with a win for the fighter nicknamed Gambred after doctor's stopped the fight in the third round due to a cut above his opponent's eye.
What are the other highlights from UFC 251?
Alongside the main event, there's also another two titles on the line further down the bill.
A rematch between Australia's Alexander Volkanovski and America's Max Holloway has the UFC featherweight belt up for grabs. Volkanovski is on a semmingly unstoppable run with 18 straight wins to his name dating back to 2013, including the pair last match-up.
The night's third title fight sees Jose Aldo, commonly regarded as the greatest featherweight in history, take on Petr Yan for the vacant bantamweight title.
How to watch UFC 251 online in the US exclusively on ESPN
Over in the US trying to track down the perfect UFC 251 stream? ESPN+ has had the exclusive rights for the past year meaning it is the one place to watch it.
There are two options on cost, completely depending on whether or not you already subscribe to the service. If you don't, then the best way to go is with a UFC Bundle, costing you $84.98. That gets you both the UFC 251 PPV and a year-long subscription to ESPN+ (that would normally cost $50 alone).
Your other option is to just simply buy access to UFC 251 for $64.99. You can tune in to watch all of the action including preliminary fights on Saturday, July 11 at 6pm ET / 3pm PT.
What does a UFC fan receive with their ESPN+ subscription?
As well as all the action from Abu Dhabi on Satuday, a subscription to ESPN+ opens up access to exclusive live UFC Fight Nights, alongside original content including Dana White’s Contender Series, UFC Destined, and Ariel & The Bad Guy, plus classic fights, replays, and there’s also the perk of fewer adverts.
The UFC 251 card in full:
MAIN CARD
Kamaru Usman (c) vs. Jorge Masvidal (UFC Welterweight Championship Title Fight)
Alexander Volkanovski (c) vs. Max Holloway (UFC Featherweight Championship Title Fight)
Petr Yan vs. José Aldo (UFC Bantamweight Championship Title Fight)
Jéssica Andrade vs. Rose Namajunas (Women's Strawweight)
Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant (Women's Flyweight)
PRELIMS
Volkan Oezdemir vs. Jiří Procházka (Light Heavyweight)
Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Muslim Salikhov (Welterweight)
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Danny Henry (Featherweight)
Leonardo Santos vs. Roman Bogatov (Lightweight)
EARLY PRELIMS
Marcin Tybura vs. Alexander Romanov (Heavyweight)
Raulian Paiva vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov (Flyweight)
Karol Rosa vs. Vanessa Melo (Women's Bantamweight)
Davey Grant vs. Martin Day (Bantamweight)
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