KAMARU USMAN

Rose Namajunas puts her strawweight title up for grabs against Zhang Weil in UFC's return to New York.

A packed crowd. Chants of Duval. Even more chants of USA. Stars and celebrities everywhere. A night that Jacksonville waited for was worth every bit of the wait. And it’s just getting started.

UFC 261 returned a sense of normalcy to the sports world with a packed house, a raucous crowd and another victory for Kamaru Usman.

It’s time, Jacksonville. The Ultimate Fighting Championship is back, packed with a championship card and ready for a full arena of fans on Saturday night at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena.

All eyes will be on Jacksonville Saturday as it hosts Ultimate Fighting Championship 261, the city’s first live sports event with a sellout crowd since the pandemic began.

Jorge Masvidal had to fly halfway around the world on six days' notice to get the first UFC title shot in his 17-year mixed martial arts career. But Burns tested positive for coronavirus last week, and the UFC went back to Masvidal to keep its card intact. Masvidal quickly headed to the Middle East for his first title shot after seven years and 18 fights in the UFC. He took the fight on short notice, but let's not act like he hasn't been training for this, Usman said. Aldo also has lost his last two fights, but he curiously got this title shot from the UFC after Henry Cejudo abruptly retired.