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Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal have promised better performances behind a full training camp after their first meeting came on just a week’s notice. Noticing the recurring theme, the UFC made “no excuses” the official marketing theme behind their rematch on Saturday in the main event of UFC 261. Their matchup tops a main UFC 261 card marked by three championship bouts from the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville. The main UFC 261 fight card begins at 10 p.m. ET.
Usman is a -400 favorite (risk $400 to win $100), while Masvidal is a +320 underdog in the latest Usman vs. Masvidal 2 odds from William Hill Sportsbook. In the co-main event, women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili (-185) will defend her title against Rose Namajunas (+165). Before making any picks for Usman vs. Masvidal or the rest of the UFC 261 card, make sure you check out the MMA predictions from SportsLine analyst Kyle Marley.
Marley won the first-ever “ToutMaster” UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.
Over the past 26 months, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up more than $19,000. Already in 2021, the accomplished MMA analyst has built on his memorable 2020 run and has now connected on 29 of his last 44 UFC main event picks, a stretch that includes a streak of five straight underdogs.
Last week at UFC Fight Night, Marley told SportsLine members to back top-ranked middleweight contender Robert Whittaker (-260) to earn a decision victory against Kelvin Gastelum (+220) in the main event. Whittaker controlled the action from the opening bell and pitched a shutout on all three scorecards to give Marley’s followers an easy winner. Anyone who has consistently followed Marley is way up.
Now, with UFC 261 fast approaching, Marley has carefully studied every matchup on the card, identified the best value in the UFC odds and released his MMA picks for every fight. Those selections are only available here.
Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal preview
Marley knows the main event pits perhaps the promotion’s most gifted fighter in Usman (18-1) against its most marketable one in Masvidal (35-14). Usman seeks Masvidal’s newfound level of fame, while the challenger wants his late-career surge to end with a coveted UFC crown.
After taking a nearly 18-month break from the sport, Masvidal returned to the UFC with a flourish in 2019. He won numerous Fighter of the Year accolades following stunning knockouts of Darren Till and Ben Askren, along with a stoppage against the rugged Nate Diaz for the manufactured BMF title.
However, he failed to capitalize on his momentum in 2020, turning down numerous fights reportedly because the UFC wouldn’t meet his salary demands. That all changed when Gilbert Burns, then the top-ranked contender, had to withdraw from a fight against Usman after testing positive for COVID-19.
Masvidal raised his hand and UFC president Dana White wrote the massive check, but the fight largely failed to deliver as Usman used his wrestling and cage control to author a dominant performance. Masvidal hasn’t fought since, while Usman scored a third-round stoppage of Burns in February. You can see Marley’s Usman vs. Masvidal picks here.
UFC 261 expert predictions
We’ll share one of Marley’s UFC 261 selections here: He is backing Stefan Sekulic (+210) to get his hand raised in an upset over Dwight Grant (-250) in a welterweight battle.
Grant (10-3) has been a professional for more than a decade, but a variety of injuries have caused long layoffs that help explain why he has just 13 fights in his career. The 36-year-old has shown power and versatility in the cage while splitting four UFC appearances. His wins have come against respected veterans Alan Jouban and Carlo Pedersoli Jr., but the New Yorker’s last appearance ended in a loss to Daniel Rodriguez, who is now considered one of the division’s hottest prospects.
Sekulic (12-3) is a grappling specialist who has seen half of his professional victories come by submission. The Serbian fighter hasn’t set foot in the Octagon for more than two years because of suspension related to a positive test for banned substances. His lone UFC outing resulted in a decision loss to Ramazan Emeev in September 2018.
“I have never been sold on Grant. He is also 36 and I don’t see many improvements coming from him. This line is too wide, and I am going to take Sekulic to get the win,” Marley told SportsLine.
How to make UFC 261 picks
Marley also has strong picks for Usman vs. Masvidal 2 and every other bout on the UFC 261 card. He’s also backing a fighter who “can win with a TKO, submission, or decision.” Those selections are only available here.
Who wins Usman vs. Masvidal 2? And how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC 261, all from the incomparable expert who’s up more than $19,000 on MMA in the past 26 months, and find out.
UFC 261 odds, fight card
Kamaru Usman (-400) vs. Jorge Masvidal (+320)
Zhang Weili (-185) vs. Rose Namajunas (+165)
Valentina Shevchenko (-400) vs. Jessica Andrade (+320)
Uriah Hall (-115) vs. Chris Weidman (-105)
Jim Crute (-190) vs. Anthony Smith (+170)
Randy Brown (-155) vs. Alex Oliveira (+135)
Dwight Grant (-250) vs. Stefan Sekulic (+210)
Brendan Allen (-130) vs. Karl Roberson (+110)
Patrick Sabatini (-220) vs. Tristan Connelly (+190)
Danaa Batgerel (-145) vs. Kevin Natividad (+125)
Zhu Rong (-250) vs. Rodrigo Vargas (+210)
Jeff Molina (-110) vs. Qileng Aori (-110)
Ariane Carnelossi (-180) vs. Na Liang (+160)