Kamaru Usman opens as heavy favorite ahead of Jorge Masvidal rematch at UFC 261

If the oddsmakers are to be trusted, Kamaru Usman’s chances of beating Jorge Masvidal again are looking good.

UFC President Dana White announced Monday that the welterweight champion will defend his title against Masvidal at UFC 261 on April 24 at VyStar Veteran’s Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla.. This will be a rematch of their UFC 251 encounter last June that Usman won by unanimous decision.

On that occasion, Masvidal stepped in on less than a week’s notice for Gilbert Burns after Burns tested positive for COVID-19. Masvidal has been inactive since then, while Usman would go on to defeat Burns by third-round TKO in a re-booking of their matchup at UFC 258 in February.

According to betting site SportsBetting.ag, Usman opened on Monday as a -350 favorite while Masvidal is a +285 underdog.

Two other title fights are scheduled to take place at UFC 261 as strawweight champion Zhang Weili takes on former titleholder Rose Namajunas, and dominant flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko fights former strawweight champ Jessica Andrade.

Of the three champions, Shevchenko is currently the biggest favorite at -360. She has successfully defended her title four consecutive times.

See the odds for UFC 261’s championship bouts below:

Jorge Masvidal +285
Kamaru Usman -350

Rose Namajunas +170
Weili Zhang -200

Jessica Andrade +295
Valentina Shevchenko -360