UFC 251 results: Kamaru Usman beats Jorge Masvidal to defend welterweight title on Fight Island

Kamaru Usman defended his UFC welterweight title with victory over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 on Fight Island.

Masvidal took the fight on just six days notice after original opponent Gilbert Burns was forced to withdraw after testing positive for Covid-19.

In his first title challenge, 'Gamebred' came up just short as Usman largely controlled the contest, keeping Masvidal's fearsome striking at bay and securing a unanimous decision win on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

'The Nigerian Nightmare' extends his winning streak to 16 and now ties Georges St-Pierre with the longest winning streaks in UFC welterweight history with 12.

Masvidal secured stunning knockout wins over Darren Till and Ben Askren in the first half of 2019 before seeing out the year with victory over UFC legend Nate Diaz.

But Usman was able to successfully nullify his offence in the octagon, controlling much of the contest with three successful takedowns keeping the pressure on the challenger who wasn't able to find a big finish he needed in the final round.

The welterweight title was one of three championships up for grabs on a stacked night of UFC action.

Alexander Volkanovski successfully defended his featherweight strap with a split decision win over former champion Max Holloway.

Petr Yan meanwhile claimed the vacant bantamweight title with a superb win over veteran Jose Aldo, stopping the Brazilian in the fifth round.