UFC 261 results: Kamaru Usman knocks Jorge Masvidal Into Sleep In Brutal Fashion To Retain Title – Independent

One of the most eventful cards in UFC history ended with one of the greatest fighters in UFC history further cementing his legacy, Kamaru Usman shattering Jorge Masvidal’s enigma with a brutal second-round knockout.

The narrative around the main-event rematch was that a full camp might just give Masvidal (35-15) the chance to reverse the result from last July, when ‘Gamebred’ stepped in on six days’ notice and lost to the welterweight champion via unanimous decision.

But it feels as though no amount of preparation could have prepared Masvidal for Saturday night, when he was knocked out cold in front of a packed arena in his home state of Florida.

A full-capacity Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville hosted 15,000 returning fans, almost all of whom wanted Masvidal’s two-year “resurrection” to end in ascension, but the challenger would go the other way, dropping limply to the mat after one devastating right straight from the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’.

In their first meeting, Usman (19-1) had used his wrestling prowess to stifle Masvidal’s brawling tendencies, and it was clear that ‘Gamebred’ was wary of engaging the champion on Saturday for fear of being taken down.

That fear kept him on the outside, where he stood early in the second round when Usman span Masvidal’s chin onto his shoulder with a picture-perfect punch that sent his challenger’s sweat spraying out of the Octagon.

Masvidal was out at once but appeared to wake up as he hit the canvas. A handful of hammer fists put him back to sleep, the Floridian remarkably resembling Ben Askren from the night Masvidal turned the former Olympian into a meme with a record-setting five-second KO.

Masvidal will no doubt be on the wrong end of a fair few memes in the morning, but the 36-year-old thankfully recovered to congratulate Usman as the bad blood between the rivals seemed to dry.

Usman has now won 18 straight fights and continues to improve with every victory, his striking now almost as much of a threat as his renowned wrestling abilities.

It is unclear who, if anyone, can unseat the welterweight king from his throne