UFC 261 live stream: How to watch Usman vs Masvidal 2 fight now

UFC 261 will be a pay-per-view event to remember as this Saturday will mark the first time since March of last year that fans will be in attendance to see the evening’s three title fights and we have all the details on how you can watch Usman vs Masvidal 2 on TV or online.

The last time that Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal met in the Octagon was at UFC 251 back in July of last year at the UFC’s first event held at its Fight Island facility in Abu Dhabi. While Usman was originally scheduled to fight Gilbert Burns, he tested positive for Covid a week before the fight and was replaced by Masvidal at the last minute. Unfortunately for Masvidal, he lost to Usman by unanimous decision during the fifth round. Now the “Nigerian Nightmare” and “Gamebred” are set for a huge rematch and hopefully having extra time to prepare will give Masvidal an edge in this fight and a chance to take the welterweight title from Usman.

During the co-main event at UFC 261, the promotion’s first Chinese champion Zhang Weili will return for the first time since defeating Joanna Jedrzejczyk in March of last year to defend her strawweight title against former champion Rose Namajunas. The third title fight at UFC 261 will see former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade challenge Valentina Shevchenko. Shevchenko first became the UFC’s flyweight champion several years ago at UFC 231 when she defeated Andrade by unanimous decision during the fifth round.

Elsewhere on the card, Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman will meet in the Octagon for a middleweight bout while Anthony Smith will take on Jim Crute in a light heavyweight bout.

Whether you’re rooting for Usman or Masvidal or are just excited to finally watch a UFC PPV with fans in the arena again, we’ll show you how to watch UFC 261 from anywhere in the world so you don’t miss a single second of Usman vs Masvidal 2.

UFC 261: When and where?

UFC 261 will be held at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday, April 24. The Early Prelims will kick off at 3pm ET / 12pm PT, the Prelims will follow after at 8pm ET / 5pm PT and the Main Card will start at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.

How to watch UFC 261 in the U.S.

As the UFC has entered into an exclusive agreement with ESPN until 2025, the network’s streaming service ESPN+ is the only place where you’ll be able to watch UFC 261’s Main Card in the U.S. If you already have an ESPN+ subscription though, you can purchase access to the PPV for $65 whether you’re a monthly or annual subscriber. However, if you haven’t signed up for ESPN+ yet, the network is running a promotion where you can get the UFC 261 PPV and an annual subscription to the streaming service for just $89.98. While this may seem expensive at first, an annual ESPN+ subscription normally costs $50 on its own so you’re saving around $25.

UFC fans with a cable subscription will be able to watch UFC 261’s Prelims on either ESPN or ESPN Deportes at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. However, in order to watch the Early Prelims at 3pm ET / 12pm PT, you’ll need to be either an ESPN+ or UFC Fight Pass subscriber. To watch the Main Card at 10pm ET / 7pm PT though, you’ll need to purchase the PPV and have an active ESPN+ subscription.

Not interested in signing up for cable just to watch UFC 261’s Prelims on ESPN? Don’t worry as there are now a number of streaming services, all at different price points, that will give you access to the network so you can watch the Prelims online. We’ve listed a few of our favorites below to make things easier for you.

• Hulu with Live TV – $64.99 per month – As well as giving you access to ESPN, the service also includes its own Hulu Originals and supports a wide variety of streaming devices.
• Sling TV – $35 per month – In order to get access to ESPN, you’ll have to sign up for Sling TV’s Sling Orange package. The service also lets you watch on three screens simultaneously and record 50 hours of live TV with its Cloud DVR.
• YouTube TV – $65 per month – YouTube TV gives you access to ESPN as well as over 70 other TV channels and a free 14-day trial available.
• AT&T TV Now – $55 per month – AT&T TV Now’s plus plan gives you access to ESPN as well as over 45 other live TV channels and you can also record up to 20 hours of content using its cloud DVR.

Live stream UFC 261 in Canada

Unlike in the U.S., Canadian viewers have plenty of options to watch Saturday’s UFC 261 PPV Bell, Rogers, Shaw, SaskTel, Videotron, Telus , Eastlink and UFC Fight Pass will all show the Main Card at 10pm ET / 7pm PT for $64.99.

The Prelims will begin two hours earlier at 8pm ET / 5pm PT and you can watch them on either TSN or RDS. You can also watch the Early Prelims in Canada at 6pm ET / 12pm PT on UFC Fight Pass.

If you have a cable subscription, then ordering the PPV from your cable provider might be the easiest way to watch it. However, if you’ve already cut the cord, then UFC Fight Pass is a better choice as it will give you access to both the Early Prelims and the Main Card.

How to watch UFC 261 in the UK

Just like with previous UFC events, UFC 261 will be available exclusively through BT Sport in the UK. If you’re already a BT Sport subscriber, you’ll be able to watch the Main Card for free beginning at 3am BST early Sunday morning on BT Sport 1. If that’s a bit late for you don’t worry as the network has a spoiler-free replay page so you can watch UFC 261’s Main Card at your convenience. You can also stream UFC 261 on your smartphone using the BT Sport app and on your computer via the network’s website. If you’re not interested in signing up for a lengthy contract with BT, you can always purchase a BT Sport Monthly Pass for just £25 in case there are other sports you want to watch as well.

The Early Prelims will begin at 11pm BST and you can watch them on UFC Fight Pass while the Prelims will be shown on both BT Sport 1 and UFC Fight Pass at 1am BST.

Watch UFC 261 in Australia

MMA fans in Australia also have several options to watch UFC 261’s Main Card as the PPV will be available from Main Event, Fetch TV, Kayo and UFC Fight Pass for $54.95.

The Early Prelims will kick off at 9am AEST / 6am AWST on Sunday, April 25 but you’ll need a subscription to UFC Fight Pass to watch them while you’ll be able to watch the Prelims at 11am AEST / 8am AWST on both UFC Fight Pass and ESPN. UFC 261’s Main Card will start at 1pm AEST / 10am AWST in Australia.

UFC 261: The main card in full

Welterweight Title Bout

• Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal

Women’s Strawweight Title Bout

• Zhang Weili vs Rose Namajunas

Women’s Flyweight Title Bout

• Valentina Shevchenko vs Jessica Andrade

Middleweight Bout

• Uriah Hall vs Chris Weidman

Light Heavyweight Bout

• Anthony Smith vs Jim Crute