Kamaru Usman silenced a hostile crowd at UFC 261 with a horrific one-punch knockout.
Then-UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman was regarded by many as one of the UFC’s pound-for-pound best combatants, but didn’t garner a lot of love from the general fanbase. That all changed when Usman rematched the inaugural BMF titleholder in the UFC’s return to arena shows during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Usman and Jorge Masvidal headlined a monumental card at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, FL in April 2021. The event marked the UFC’s long-awaited return to live audiences, after a year of compartmentalized events at the Apex facility during the pandemic.
The first fight between Usman and Masvidal took place on Fight Island, featuring a dominant performance from Usman to defend the UFC welterweight belt. Their second matchup ended in one of the most brutal knockouts in the promotion’s history.
Kamaru Usman handed one of the UFC’s most violent competitors a horrific knockout
Masvidal promised to ‘baptize’ Usman to dethrone the champion in their UFC 261 rematch. Their second fight came during the height of Masvidal’s superstardom after winning the inaugural BMF belt over Nate Diaz.
Masvidal was called upon for a short-notice fight with Usman at UFC 251. Now, with a full training camp under his belt, Masvidal entered UFC 261 with supreme confidence that he could end Usman’s title reign.
Usman and Masvidal had a back-and-forth first round of the fight, but Usman landed the heavier shots and outboxed the elite striker. In Round 2, Usman continued to pour on the pressure against Masvidal, forcing him on the back foot and hesitant to exchange.
Usman ended the action with one punch, landing a brutal right hand clean to Masvidal’s chin that sent the challenger’s sweat flying in the cage. Masvidal was knocked unconscious before he hit the canvas in a shocking scene for the viewing audience.
Watch Usman’s stunning finish below.
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Kamaru Usman/Belal Muhammad podcast scuffle recounted by former UFC champ
Usman’s knockout cemented him as one of the top competitors in Mixed Martial Arts history. After dismantling Masvidal, Usman defeated Colby Covington in their UFC 268 rematch before back-to-back title losses to Leon Edwards.
Usman is weeks away from his welterweight return at UFC Atlanta against the surging Joaquin Buckley. A win over Buckley could potentially earn Usman a title shot, or at the very least a No. 1 contender fight.
If Usman is victorious, a showdown with recently-dethroned Belal Muhammad could make a lot of sense in the welterweight division. Usman and Muhammad have traded barbs for months, building up towards an alleged scuffle during a filming of Usman’s podcast alongside Henry Cejudo.
According to Cejudo, Usman and Muhammad got into it in their podcast studio after months of back-and-forths online. The footage of what happened between Usman and Muhammad could surface at a later date.