What time is UFC 261 today? PPV schedule, main card start time for Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal 2

Jordan Greer

What time is UFC 261 today? PPV schedule, main card start time for Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal 2 image

Only nine months removed from their fight at UFC 251, Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal are ready to do battle once again.

Usman will put his welterweight championship on the line Saturday against Masvidal at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Fla. Usman dominated the previous matchup on his way to a unanimous decision victory, but it's important to note that Masvidal had stepped in on short notice after Usman's original opponent, Gilbert Burns, tested positive for COVID-19.

With more time to prepare, will Masvidal be able to defeat Usman? Or will Usman continue his winning ways?

Here is everything you need to know to watch UFC 261, including the expected start time for the main event.

MORE: Sign up to watch the UFC 261 PPV, exclusively on ESPN+

What time does UFC 261 start today?

  • Early prelims: 5:45 p.m. ET
  • Prelims: 8 p.m. ET
  • PPV main card: 10 p.m. ET
  • Usman vs. Masvidal fight: 12:15 a.m. ET (approx.)

The main card for UFC 261 will begin around 10 p.m. ET. Usman and Masvidal are expected to enter the Octagon at approximately 12:15 a.m. ET. The start time of the main event will depend on how long the earlier fights last.

What channel is UFC 261 on?

  • TV channels: ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+

The early fights on the UFC 261 card can be watched on ESPN or streamed via the Watch ESPN app. The main card will be available via ESPN+, which requires a subscription.

Click here to learn more about ESPN+ pricing and bundling options.

UFC 261 card

Main card

  • Kamaru Usman (c) vs. Jorge Masvidal for Usman's UFC welterweight championship
  • Zhang Weili (c) vs. Rose Namajunas for Zhang's UFC women's strawweight championship
  • Valentina Shevchenko (c) vs. Jessica Andrade for Shevchenko's UFC women's flyweight championship
  • Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman (middleweight)
  • Anthony Smith vs. Jimmy Crute (light heavyweight)

Prelims

  • Alex Oliveira vs. Randy Brown (welterweight)
  • Dwight Grant vs. Stefan Sekulic (welterweight)
  • Karl Roberson vs. Brendan Allen (middleweight)
  • Patrick Sabatini vs. Tristan Connelly (featherweight)

Early prelims

  • Danaa Batgerel vs. Kevin Natividad (bantamweight)
  • Kazula Vargas vs. Rong Zhu (lightweight)
  • Qileng Aori vs. Jeffrey Molina (flyweight)
  • Na Liang vs. Ariane Carnelossi (women's strawweight)
  • Jamey Simmons vs. Johnny Muñoz (bantamweight)

Jordan Greer

Jordan Greer Photo

Jordan Greer has been with The Sporting News since 2015. He previously worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He is a graduate of Westminster College and Syracuse University.