bettingexpert UFC 261: Usman vs Masvidal Betting Tips & Predictions
UFC 261 Kamaru Usman Style & Form:
Kamaru Usman has proved time and again that he is a force to be reckoned with. His superhuman strength and wrestling allow him to dominate his opponents and win fights.
But make no mistake, his stand-up game has also gotten much better and Usman is now a complete fighter.
His stand-up was superb against Burns in his last fight. It’s the jab that was his bread and butter, allowing him to open up Burns and finish him via TKO.
Another thing we saw in his last fight that was new were kicks. Kicks weren’t a part of Usman’s arsenal up until recently.
Although it is obvious that he is still not elite at this aspect, he has proven that he can evolve and learn new techniques to advance his fighting style.
His stand-up game will surely improve even more for this fight and it will be interesting to see just how much he has progressed since their last bout.
UFC 261: Jorge Masvidal Style & Form:
Jorge Masvidal holds the record for the fastest knockout in UFC history. He earned this record with a 5-second knockout against Ben Askren. The flying knee Masvidal used will forever remain in the memory of fans as the most spectacular knockout ever.
That said, Masvidal’s fighting style is largely based on boxing/kickboxing. He is much better standing up than Usman. But, his biggest weakness facing Usman is certainly his wrestling game.
Out of his 35 victories, 16 have come via KO/TKO and 17 have come by decision, whilst the other two were submissions.
Masvidal is a stand-up specialist and his kickboxing game is at an elite level. The only question that remains is if he has improved his conditioning enough to face someone who is as athletically gifted as Kamaru Usman.
That said, Masvidal’s ‘Gamebred’ nickname is not for nothing. He is a fighter that understands angles and movement. But he also knows when to cruise on autopilot, and when to explode for a knockout. He is not an elite wrestler by any means. But he knows how and when to scramble in order to escape unfavorable positions.
He is coming into this fight underestimated, which will serve as his biggest advantage.
UFC 261 Usman vs Masvidal: Bets
Their previous fight doesn’t seem like the best sample to take when deciding who will win this one. Masvidal was completely unprepared and Usman has developed his game since. The fighters are much more evenly matched than the bookmakers might suggest. They give Usman 1,25 odds to win and Masvidal just 5,50.
Usman is definitely the more complete fighter. But he has shown weakness when defending himself against elite stand-up specialists. The fight will likely be in favor of Masvidal standing up, but Usman will resort to his wrestling in the second round. This is where he will find the most success. The outcome of the fight will depend on Masvidal’s ability to avoid the takedown and hurt Usman with outside leg kicks and his lethal combinations.
Both of these fighters are very durable and have not been knocked out in their UFC careers. Thus, back the fight to go the distance at 1,57 odds.
