Kamaru Usman will be looking to extend his winning streak in the octagon to 16 fights on Saturday when he puts his UFC welterweight title on the line against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 as a -265 betting favourite at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Usman’s undefeated run includes 11 straight victories since joining the UFC back in 2015, lifting his professional MMA record to 16-1 going into Saturday night’s bout at the UFC Fight Island facility on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
The 33-year-old has seen four of his past five fights go a full five rounds including the unanimous decision win over Tyron Woodley as a +170 underdog at betting sites at UFC 235 that first earned him the UFC welterweight championship.
Overall, nine of Usman’s 11 outings since joining the UFC have been decided by the judges. However, he emerged victorious by fifth-round TKO in his last outing, knocking off former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington to pay out as a -210 wager in the first defence of his belt at UFC 245.
A winner in three straight outings, Masvidal makes his first bid for a UFC title as a +205 underdog. The 35-year-old American is coming off a third-round TKO win over Nate Diaz at UFC 244, and has finished opponents in each of his past three fights, including a record-setting KO win over Ben Askren just five seconds into their UFC 239 tilt. However, it remains to be seen how Masvidal will fare in a potential marathon tilt with Usman after seeing action in championship rounds just once in 48 career fights.
Two other championship bouts highlight the UFC 251 card. UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski vies for a 19th straight victory as he takes on former champion Max Holloway in their highly anticipated rematch at -230 on the UFC odds. Earlier in the evening, the vacant UFC bantamweight title will be up for grabs as former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo battles rising star Petr Yan as a +175 underdog.
The winner of six different featherweight and lightweight titles in his native Australia before joining the UFC in 2016, Volkanovski claimed the title with a stunning upset victory over Holloway as a +160 bet. Holloway looks to reclaim his belt while set as a +180 underdog, and avoid falling to defeat for the third time in four outings for the first time in his pro MMA career.
Elsewhere on the UFC 251 odds, Rose Namajunas battles fellow women’s strawweight Jessica Andrade as a -210 betting favourite, while Amanda Ribas is listed as heavy -850 chalk in her women’s flyweight matchup with Paige VanZant.
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