UFC 261 odds: Is it a good idea to bet on Jorge Masvidal for the Kamaru Usman rematch?

Kamaru Usman (Left) will fight Jorge Masvidal (Right) in the main event of UFC 261 on April 24.
Kamaru Usman (Left) will fight Jorge Masvidal (Right) in the main event of UFC 261 on April 24.

The stacked UFC 261 event is about to go down in two days and Jorge Masvidal will have the opportunity to avenge the most recent defeat of his fighting career - a unanimous decision loss to reigning champion Kamaru Usman in July of 2020. However, betting odds for the fight are not encouraging for 'Gamebred'.

As of April 22nd, Jorge Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is a heavy +300 underdog on the betting lines, which means a $100 bet on Jorge Masvidal's win will yield a $300 profit.

Masvidal's opponent, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) is a heavy -400 favorite according to the latest updates in the betting lines. This means that a $400 bet on Kamaru Usman will yield $100 in profits for those who stick with the champion to retain the title.

Whether it is a good idea to bet on the underdog challenger or not completely depends on an individual's risk appetite. Kamaru Usman defeated Jorge Masvidal in dominant fashion during their first fight at UFC 251. However, the fight was booked on short notice and forced both fighters to take a risk-averse approach.

Although Kamaru Usman has shown improvements to his game in recent times, the rematch is expected to play out in a much different manner. Both fighters have now faced each other in the Octagon and have had full camps to prepare for the fight.

Jorge Masvidal will give Kamaru Usman an immediate rematch if he wins at UFC 261

While speaking to the media at the UFC 261 pre-fight press conference, Jorge Masvidal told reporters that he respects the fact that Usman gave him the immediate rematch. Gamebred also stated he will return the favor if he is victorious at UFC 261.

"Definitely. He gave me a chance. Whether we see eye-to-eye on things or not, he gave me another chance to compete, so I’ll definitely give him another chance to compete again," said Jorge Masvidal.

However, UFC President Dana White refused to give definitive answers about the prospect of an immediate trilogy fight. White had previously declared that Colby Covington would be the next challenger if Usman retained his title at UFC 261.

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Edited by Ritwik Kumar