Getty Kamaru Usman will take on Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 251 on Saturday.
Headlined by a welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman on Jorge Masvidal, UFC 251–which will take place on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi–stands as one of the most anticipated cards of the year. If you’re looking to watch, the main PPV card can only be purchased through ESPN+.
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If You Don’t Have ESPN+: You can purchase a special bundle deal that includes a one-year subscription to ESPN+ ($49.99 value) and UFC 251 ($64.99 value) for $84.98, which works out to about 26 percent savings. You can get that deal right here.
If You Already Have ESPN+: You can purchase the UFC 251 PPV by itself right here. The PPV by itself costs $64.99.
Once you’re signed up for ESPN+ and you’ve purchased the PPV, there are a number of different ways you can watch Usman vs Masvidal and the complete UFC 251 card.
You can watch the fights on your computer via ESPN.com, or you can watch on your phone (Android and iPhone compatible), tablet, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or other compatible streaming device via the ESPN app.
For all of those options, you’ll need to sign in with your ESPN+ account to watch both the prelims (ESPN+) and the main card (ESPN+ PPV).
UFC 251 Preview
After a positive COVID-19 test forced Gilbert Burns out of the main event, Dana White and Co. were able to scramble and quickly find a replacement in Masvidal. It’s not often that a quickly-made replacement fight is more alluring than the original, but that’s likely the case here for most onlookers.
The 35-year-old Masvidal is coming off three straight wins in 2019, a run that includes a record-setting KO of Ben Askren last July and a victory over Nate Diaz to claim the symbolic BMF belt in November. He catapulted to No. 3 in the welterweight rankings as a result, and after Usman knocked out Colby Covington in December, many hoped that Masvidal would be the next challenger.
Another win for Usman would tie Georges St-Pierre’s record of 12 straight weltwerweight victories, while a victory for Masvidal would complete his meteoric 16-month ascent. The fact this bout will take place just six days after it was officially booked will likely play a factor in its quality, but this still stands as one of the most anticipated fights, headlining one of the most anticipated cards, of the year.
A rematch between featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski (21-1) and Max Holloway (21-5) is another intriguing featured bout on the card. Volkanovski took the belt from Holloway last year, and this will be his first defense of the title. It was Holloway’s first loss as a featherweight since 2013, and the victory has empowered Volkanovski.
“To be on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi on stacked card like this the world will be watching, so it’s a big opportunity. I’ve done a lot of strength and conditioning, so I feel more explosive and powerful than ever. That’s why I think I’m finishing Max inside five rounds,” Volkanovski said last week.
The retirement of former UFC bantamweight champion Henry Cejudo has left the belt up for grabs, with Petr Yan (14-1) taking on former featherweight Jose Aldo (28-6). The winning fighter will be crowned the new bantamweight champion, so there will be plenty of intrigue in this one, as well.
Jessica Andrade (20-7) will square off against Rose Namajunas (8-4), while Paige VanZant (8-4) and Amanda Ribas (9-1) will be the other featured headlining bouts.