UFC 261 pre-event facts: Champs Usman, Weili, Shevchenko boast epic resumes

By Mike Bohn |

April 22, 2021 12:50 pm

The UFC returns with another numbered event on Saturday, as UFC 261 takes place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., with a full crowd in attendance.

The eighth championship triple-header in company history tops the main card, which streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN.

Kamaru Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) vs. Jorge Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC) for the welterweight title serves as the main event, Zhang Weili (21-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) vs. Rose Namajunas (9-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) for strawweight gold co-headlines, while Valentina Shevchenko (20-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) vs. Jessica Andrade (21-8 MMA, 12-6 UFC) for the women’s flyweight strap is set as the featured matchup.

For more on the three title fights, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 65 pre-event facts about UFC 261.

Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal

Kamaru Usman

Usman enters the event on a 17-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman is one of three fighters in UFC history to start 13-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva and Khabib Nurmagomedov also accomplished the feat.

Usman’s 13-fight UFC winning streak is the longest active streak in the company.

Usman’s 13-fight UFC winning streak is tied for the second longest in company history behind Silva (16).

Usman’s 13-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division, and the longest overall in divisional history.

Usman has defended 100 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, the highest rate in company history.

Usman has been controlled for zero seconds in UFC competition, the least amount of time in company history for anyone with at least five fights.

Usman’s 12 takedowns landed against Rafael dos Anjos at The Ultimate Fighter 28 Finale are tied for second most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Luigi Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Usman out-landed Tyron Woodley by a margin of 336-60 (+275) in total strikes at UFC 235, the record for a UFC championship fight.

Usman landed 192 body strikes at UFC 235, the single-fight UFC record.

Jorge Masvidal

Masvidal competes in his fifth UFC headliner. He’s 2-2 in previous main events.

Masvidal is 7-5 since he returned to the welterweight division is July 2015.

Masvidal has earned all six of his UFC welterweight stoppage victories via strikes.

Masvidal’s five-second knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239 is the record for fastest in UFC history.

Masvidal is one of five fighters in UFC history to finish a bout by submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2. He accomplished the feat at UFC on FOX 8.

Zhang Weili vs. Rose Namajunas

Zhang Weili

Weili is the only UFC champion born in China.

Weili enters the event on a 21-fight winning streak. She hasn’t suffered a defeat since her MMA debut in November 2013.

Weili’s 21-fight winning streak is the longest among all current fighters on the UFC roster.

Weili’s five-fight UFC winning streak at strawweight is tied with Tatiana Suarez for the second longest active streak in the division behind Yan Xiaonan (six).

Weili and Joanna Jedrzejczyk combined for 351 significant strikes landed at UFC 248, the third most in UFC title-fight history. Max Holloway vs. Brian Ortega hold the record with 400 total at UFC 231.

Rose Namajunas

Namajunas’ four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Andrade and Mackenzie Dern for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ three knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Angela Hill and Amanda Lemos for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Cynthia Calvillo for second most in divisional history behind Dern (four).

Namajunas’ submission of Paige VanZant at the 2:25 mark of Round 5 at UFC Fight Night 80 is the latest stoppage in UFC strawweight history.

Namajunas’ five fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are second most in divisional history behind Andrade (seven).

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jessica Andrade

Valentina Shevchenko

Shevchenko is one of two women’s flyweight champions in UFC history. Nicco Montano also accomplished the feat.

Shevchenko’s four consecutive UFC women’s flyweight title defenses are most in divisional history.

Shevchenko’s four consecutive UFC title defenses are second most among current promotional champions behind Amanda Nunes’ five at bantamweight.

Shevchenko is one of seven fighters in history to end a UFC title fight with a knockout stemming from a head kick. She accomplished the feat at UFC 238. Nunes, Georges St-Pierre, Anderson Silva, Renan Barao, Holly Holm and T.J. Dillashaw are the others.

Shevchenko is 6-0 since she dropped to the UFC women’s flyweight division in February 2018.

Shevchenko’s six-fight UFC winning streak at women’s flyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Shevchenko’s six victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Katlyn Chookagian and Gillian Robertson for most in divisional history.

Shevchenko’s three stoppage victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Robertson (five).

Shevchenko’s two knockout victories in UFC women’s flyweight competition are tied with Maycee Barber and Shana Dobson for most in divisional history.

Shevchenko is one of nine fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from the crucifix position. She accomplished the feat at UFC 247.

Shevchenko has completed at least one takedown in 10 of her 11 UFC appearances.

Jessica Anrade

Andrade makes her 19th UFC appearance, the most by any female in company history.

Andrade was successful in her UFC women’s flyweight debut at UFC Fight Night 180 in October.

Andrade is one of 13 fighters in UFC history to earn victories in three weight classes. She’s the only female to accomplish the feat.

Andrade’s 12 UFC victories are the second most by any female in company history behind Nunes (14).

Andrade is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a slam. She accomplished the feat at UFC 237.

Andrade is one of four in history to win a UFC title fight by knockout stemming from a slam. She accomplished the feat at UFC 237.

Andrade landed 242 total strikes against Claudia Gadelha at UFC Fight Night 117, the single-fight record for a UFC strawweight bout.

Andrade’s 10 takedowns landed against Tecia Torres at UFC on FOX 29 is the single-fight record for a women’s UFC bout.

Andrade’s seven fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are most in divisional history.

Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman

Uriah Hall

Uriah Hall’s (16-9 MMA, 9-7 UFC) three-fight UFC winning streak at middleweight is tied for the fourth longest active streak in the division behind Israel Adesanya (nine), Marvin Vettori (five) and Derek Brunson (four).

Hall has earned 13 of his 16 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his nine UFC wins.

Hall’s seven knockout victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Silva (eight) and Thiago Santos (eight).

Hall is one of four fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a spinning back kick to the head. He accomplished the feat at UFC Fight Night 175. Joaquin Buckley, Renan Barao and Magomed Mustafaev are the others.

Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman (15-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) became the first male fighter in UFC history to win a championship with an undefeated record and go on to successfully defend the belt more than once when he defeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 175.

Weidman has completed at least one takedown in all 16 of his UFC appearances.

Weidman’s 42 takedowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are most in divisional history.

Anthony Smith vs. Jimmy Crute

Anthony Smith

Anthony Smith (33-16 MMA, 9-6 UFC) is 5-3 since he moved up to the UFC light-heavyweight division in June 2018.

Smith is 9-5 since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in February 2016. He’s 16-4 since he was first released from the promotion in June 2013.

Smith has earned 31 of his 33 career victories by stoppage. That includes nine of his 10 UFC wins.

Smith’s five stoppage victories since 2018 in UFC light heavyweight competition are tied with Paul Craig for most in the division.

Jimmy Crute

Jimmy Crute (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned nine of his 12 career victories by stoppage. That includes all four of his UFC wins.

Crute absorbs 1.16 significant strikes per minute in UFC light heavyweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Crute is one of five fighters in UFC history to earn multiple submission victories by kimura. Krzysztof Soszynski, Rani Yahya, Frank Mir and George Sotiropoulos also accomplished the feat.

Crute’s victory at the 4:51 mark of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 142 is the second latest finish in a three-round UFC light heavyweight fight behind Craig’s win at 4:59 of Round 3 at UFC Fight Night 127.