Kamaru Usman retains UFC Welterweight title with victory over Jorge Masvidal 

Nigerian-American fighter, Kamaru Usman successfully retained his UFC welterweight title with a composed points victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251.

33-year-old Usman defeated his opponent by unanimous decision after both fighters gave their all at ‘Fight Island’ in Abu Dhabi.

It was a 12th straight win in the UFC for Usman, tying Georges St-Pierre’s record for longest welterweight winning streak.

Masvidal has been hailed by supporters for his courage, as he only took the fight on just six days’ notice after original contender Gilbert Burns was forced off the card with coronavirus.

‘Gamebred’ as Masvidal is called, also took to the Octagon without his head coach Mike Brown, who also contracted Covid-19 this week.

Read Also: Kamaru Usman successfully defends UFC Welterweight title

Kamaru Usman made his third title defence in Abu Dhabi, neutralising the early threat from Miami-native Masvidal by containing him on the canvas.

At the end of the fifth round, it went to the scorecards where all three referees gave the win to Usman, scoring it, 50-45, 49-46, and 50-45.

With the victory, Usman extended his MMA record to 17-1.

Masvidal suffered back-to-back defeats in 2017 but revived his UFC career in 2019, thrusting himself into world-title contention with three explosive wins.

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