UFC 261 live stream: How to watch Usman vs. Masvidal 2 online

UFC 261 live stream Usman vs. Masvidal 2
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UFC 261 time and date

The UFC 261 main card is tonight at 10 p.m. ET, with the main event likely to start around 12:15a ET. The event will be broadcast from the UFC APEX facilities in Las Vegas. The main prelim card will begin at 8 p.m. ET.

The UFC 261 live stream is tonight, and it's headlined by a big-time Usman vs. Masvidal rematch for the welterweight title. Kamaru Usman (the champ) enters as the favorite (-420), and his 18-1 record makes it hard to doubt him. But can Jorge Masvidal end his 17-fight win streak?

The last time they met was last summer, where Masvidal was a late-addition (less than a week out) after Gilbert Burns was removed after testing positive for Covid-19. Usman handled Masvidal via serious grappling that disassembled his foe's offense. That loss broke a three-year winning streak for Masvidal, so he's ready to get his revenge — and fans are eager for a match that isn't settled by judge's decision.

The semi-main event is also a must-see as Weili Zhang defends the women's strawweight championship against Rose Namajunas. Again, champ is a favorite to win, but Namajunas is a former champ and no idle threat.

That said, Zhang is on a 21-match winning streak, which is funny to note when she has a 21-1 record. That's right, after her first match was a loss, she hasn't taken an L since. 

How to watch UFC 261 live streams in the US

live stream UFC 261 in the US

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You're gonna need ESPN Plus to watch UFC 261 live streams, because you're not gonna go without the main card, which starts at 10 p.m. ET, are you? And the main prelim fights are on both ESPN and ESPN Plus, so those who haven't subscribed to the latter yet can get a taste of it all for themselves, before forking the cash over. 

The former is available on most cable packages, as well as two of the best streaming services: including Sling TV and FuboTV.

UFC 261 Early Prelim fights start at 7:30 p.m. ET on UFC FightPass, which is $9.99 per month. Then, the higher-up set of prelim fights that start at 8 p.m. ET, on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

ESPN+ for UFC 261

You're gonna need <a href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/c/221109/531511/9070?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fplus.espn.com%2Fufc%2Fppv" data-link-merchant="plus.espn.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">ESPN+ for UFC 261. While UFC 261 live streams cost $64.99 (on top of ESPN Plus), new subscribers and those on current monthly plans can get UFC 261 at a discounted rate — with over 30% savings — via the $84.98 annual plan + UFC 261 offer. 

Sling TV:

<a href="https://sling-tv.pxf.io/c/221109/1132376/14334?subId1=hawk-custom-tracking&sharedId=hawk&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2F" data-link-merchant="sling.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Sling TV: ESPN is on Sling Orange, one of the service's three packages, which also includes the Disney Channel, ESPN2 and ESPN3. 


Fubo.TV:

<a href="https://www.fubo.tv/?irad=366904&irmp=221109&subId1=hawk-custom-tracking" data-link-merchant="fubo.tv"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Fubo.TV: If you love sports, you probably want to check out Fubo.TV. It's got a 7-day free trial so you don't need to pay up front. The channel lineup includes ESPN, as well as other top networks including Bravo, FX, MTV and USA.

How to watch UFC 261 live streams in the UK

UFC 261 live streams in the UK

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UFC 261 is another late night affair for fight night fans in the UK — you'll likely watch the main event begin at around 5 a.m. BST if you're tuning in live, as the means the main card starts at 3 a.m. BST. It's live on BT Sport Box Office, where it costs £19.95. Prelims are on UFC Fight Pass.

Just a heads up, though, it's not available via a web browser, but through apps on Now TV devices, PlayStations, Xbox, Apple TV and some Smart TVs.

How to watch UFC 261 live streams in Canada

UFC 261 live streams in Canada

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Our neighbors in the great white north will watch the early prelims on UFC Fight Pass, while the prelims are on TSN and RDS. UFC 261's main card is available on various providers, including BELL and Rogers.

UFC 261 fight card

Early Prelims (5:45 p.m. EDT) on UFC Fight Pass

  • Danaa Batgerel vs. Kevin Natividad, bantamweights
  • Kazula Vargas vs. Zhu Rong, lightweights
  • Qileng Aori vs. Jeffrey Molina, flyweights
  • Na Liang vs. Ariane Carnelossi, women's strawweights

Prelims (8:00 p.m. ET) on ESPN/ESPN Plus

  • Alex Oliveira vs. Randy Brown, welterweights
  • Dwight Grant vs. Stefan Sekulic, welterweights
  • Karl Roberson vs. Brendan Allen, middleweights
  • Patrick Sabatini vs. Tristan Connelly, featherweights

Main Card (10 p.m. ET) on ESPN Plus:

  • Jorge Masvidal vs. Kamaru Usman (c), welterweight title
  • Rose Namajunasn vs. Weili Zhang (c), women's strawweight title
  • Jessica Andrade vs. Valentina Shevchenko (c), women's flyweight title
  • Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman, middleweights
  • Anthony Smith vs. Jimmy Crute, light heavyweights
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.