2021 Wimbledon Preview
It’s that time once again. After last year’s Wimbledon Championships were cancelled due to COVID, this year’s Wimbledon is bound to mean a little more than usual. Living legends like Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams are out to add one more major win to their legacies, while younger players like Daniil Medvedev, Ashleigh Barty, and Aryna Sabalenka are looking to establish themselves as the new crop of tennis heavyweights. The 2021 Wimbledon Championships will run from June 28, 2021, to July 11, 2021. As always, this major will be held at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London. MEN’S FAVORITE Novak Djokovic A victory for Novak Djokovic here would put him a three-way tie with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as the most successful players in the history of men’s tennis. Djokovic has won 19 majors, while Nadal and Federer have both won 20 majors. The next closest player is the legendary Pete Sampras with 14 majors. Djokovic has a good chance to be the first man to win a single-year Grand Slam since Rod Laver did it in 1969. He was dominant in his win over Daniil Medvedev at the Australian Open, and he erased a two-set deficit to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas at the French Open Finals. It will be tough to knock him off as he has won the last two Wimbledon titles and has five championships here. WOMEN’S FAVORITE Ashleigh Barty The No. 1 seed in the women’s bracket must be respected although she has just one major win. Ashleigh Barty has never made it further than the fourth round of Wimbledon. The 2019 French Open champion has been one of the last eight at the last three Australian Opens though, and she has won 76% of her matches on grass over the course of her career. Barty has been extremely successful since returning to tennis after a short flirtation with cricket. She has won 11 singles titles since 2017, and she has already won two hard court tournaments and one clay court tournament this year. MEN’S CONTENDERS Daniil Medvedev We saw Daniil Medvedev beat Sam Querrey 6-4, 6-2 to win the Mallorca Championships this weekend. That was Medvedev’s 11th ATP Tour title and his first grass court victory. He is the No. 2 seed at Wimbledon this year, and he is seeking his first major championship. Medvedev made it to the finals of the 2019 US Open and 2021 Australian Open only to lose to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, but he knows that it’s only a matter of time before the old guard makes way for the young talent. Roger Federer It’s incredible that Roger Federer continues to play at an elite level. The eight-time Wimbledon champion is the most accomplished player in the history of the All-England Club, but he will turn 40 in August. Federer has not won a major since claiming the 2018 Australian Open. However, he played arguably the most epic Wimbledon final ever against Djokovic in 2019. The two behemoths went to the first tie break in the history of the finals, but Federer came up short. WOMEN’S CONTENDERS Serena Williams Serena Williams has been stuck at 23 Grand Slam titles since 2016. She is one major short of tying Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam titles, but she is running out of chances to draw level with her. Williams made it to the Wimbledon finals in 2018 and 2019 only to fall to Angelique Kerber and Simona Halep in straight sets, as the two-week grind of a major is starting to really wear on her at the age of 39. Aryna Sabalenka The No. 2 seed at this year’s Wimbledon is an unfamiliar name to casual tennis fans. Aryna Sabalenka has never made it past the fourth round of any major, but she is likely to contend for the title. Sabalenka has won five titles since February 2020, and she beat Barty for the Madrid Open title last month. Her record on grass is not good though, and she has yet to win an event on this surface.
Four Potential Landing Spots for Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers became one of the top stories of the NFL offseason when he announced that he didn’t want to return to the Green Bay Packers on the eve of the 2021 NFL Draft. The three-time league MVP has reportedly been at odds with the front office and head coach Matt LaFleur, but the Packers have held firm that they have no intention to deal him before the start of the season. However, the Packers might change their tune if Rodgers remains committed to not returning to the team. Rodgers might be 37 years old, but there are several teams that are interested in the future first-ballot Hall of Fame quarterback. Drew Brees only just retired after leading the Saints to four straight NFC South division titles, and Tom Brady won his seventh Super Bowl in February. Virtually any team that acquired Rodgers would immediately become a Super Bowl contender, so let’s take a look at some of the teams he could be traded to in the next few months. DENVER BRONCOS John Elway has prioritized the quarterback position ever since taking a front office position with his former team in 2011. He was instrumental in the Broncos landing Peyton Manning in 2012, and Denver has been searching for a franchise quarterback since Manning retired at the end of the 2015 season. The Broncos have used high draft picks on Paxton Lynch and Drew Lock, and they have brought in Brock Osweiler, Case Keenum, and Joe Flacco. None of those five quarterbacks have worked out (although technically the jury is still out on Lock). Denver has not made it back to the postseason since Manning retired, and the Broncos might be willing to pay the most in order to land Rodgers. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS Rodgers has indicated that he would like to be traded to a team out west. The San Francisco 49ers and Las Vegas Raiders are reportedly two of the teams at the top of his list, but the Raiders are the more viable option after the Niners took Trey Lance with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Jon Gruden would probably love to have a veteran quarterback like Rodgers if the price were right. Although Derek Carr has been solid under center and the defense has been to blame for Las Vegas’ woes, there is no doubt that they would be more of a threat with Rodgers. MIAMI DOLPHINS This would be the most intriguing destination. Miami has loads of draft capital and tons of young players, and the Dolphins might not be sold on Tua Tagovailoa after a shaky rookie season. The Dolphins have two first-round picks in each of the next two seasons thanks to their trade with the 49ers, and they could send a very tempting offer to the Packers. Rodgers would make the Dolphins one of the favorites in the AFC. This front office did a masterful job with its lightning quick tank and rebuild, and Rodgers would signify that Miami plans on winning now. The Dolphins haven’t had an elite quarterback since Dan Marino, and Rodgers could lead this team to a Super Bowl win for the first time in almost five decades. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES Do the Philadelphia Eagles REALLY believe in Jalen Hurts? They did deal Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts back in February, but we continue to hear rumors about their interest in adding another quarterback. Hurts was better than Wentz last season, and his mobility gives him a leg up on other quarterbacks, but he completed just 52% of his passes and didn’t look too comfortable in the pocket. While the Eagles are a cold weather team on the East Coast, they might appeal to Rodgers. The team has used a first-round pick on a wide receiver in each of the last two seasons, and they also have a great left tackle in Andre Dillard and a solid set of tight ends in Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert. That could be enough for Rodgers to decide to withstand the cold for another season or two.
2021 Men’s French Open Preview
Rafael Nadal has dominated the French Open like no other player has dominated a major. Nadal has won a record 13 French Open titles, cementing himself as the greatest clay court player in the history of tennis. He has won this event for each of the last four years, making himself the favorite coming into the 2021 French Open. Although he will be 35 years old on June 3, Nadal’s prowess on clay court overcomes some of the deficiencies in his game. The 2021 French Open will run from May 30, 2021 to June 13, 2021. It will take place at historic Roland Garros in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. THE FAVORITE Rafael Nadal Nadal ran roughshod over Novak Djokovic in last year’s French Open Final. He beat Djokovic in straight sets 6-0, 6-2, 7-5 to win a record 20th Grand Slam. It was his 100th victory at Roland Garros, and he has only lost two matches since his first French Open in 2005. His loss to Robin Soderling in 2009 was absolutely stunning as Soderling was a relative unknown, and his only other defeat at Roland Garros came against Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the 2015 French Open. Nadal was unable to win the Madrid Open a few weeks ago though, losing to Alexander Zverev in straight sets. THE CONTENDERS Novak Djokovic It’s wild to think that Novak Djokovic might catch both Nadal and Roger Federer in terms of career grand slam titles considering how dominant Nadal and Federer were in the 2000s. Djokovic has 18 career grand slam wins, just two behind Nadal and Federer. His only win at Roland Garros came in 2016, yet the No. 1 player in the world must be feared as the winner of the Australian Open back in February. While Nadal is the King of Clay, Djokovic isn’t that far behind the Spanish sensation. He has won 15 titles on clay, and he is one of the few tennis players that has a somewhat respectable record against Nadal on this surface. Stefanos Tsitsipas Will this be Tsitsipas’ breakthrough tournament? He is one of the young guns out to unseat the three giants of the sport, but he has yet to make the finals of any grand slam. Tsitsipas made it to the semifinals of the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021 and the semifinals of last year’s French Open, yet he was unable to make it further. He did push Djokovic to five sets in last year’s semifinals at Roland Garros, so the 22-year-old could have a bigger edge with his fresh legs. Dominic Thiem We saw Thiem finally win a grand slam last year at Flushing Meadows. He overcame a two-set deficit to beat Alexander Zverev at the 2020 US Open. Thiem lost to Nadal in the finals of the 2018 and 2019 French Open, but this could be the year he finally claims some hardware at Roland Garros. DON’T THINK ABOUT IT Roger Federer Federer is considered the greatest player in the history of tennis by many experts. He claimed his 20th grand slam when he won the 2018 Australian Open, but he is a shadow of his former greatness. It’s been incredible to watch him play at a high level into his late 30s, but he will turn 40 in August and no longer has the stamina or speed needed to survive two weeks on clay court.
2021 Women’s French Open Preview
While Rafael Nadal has dominated the men’s side of the French Open over the last 15 years, we have not seen similar domination on the women’s side. No one has won the French Open more than twice since Justine Henin-Hardenne won three times in four years at Roland Garros between 2003 and 2006. Furthermore, the last five winners of the French Open have all been first-time winners, so there’s a good chance we see a new champion this year. The 2021 French Open will run from May 30, 2021 to June 13, 2021. It will take place at historic Roland Garros in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. THE FAVORITE Iga Swiatek Poland’s Iga Swiatek is the defending champion at the French Open. She won this tournament at the age of 19 last year, and she will turn 20 at the end of May. Swiatek is currently the No. 9 ranked player in the world after dominating the field in Rome two weeks ago. She beat Elina Svitolina, Cori Gauff, and Karolina Pliskova in straight sets on her way to winning the Internazionali BNL D’Italia. Her victory over Pliskova was extremely impressive as she double bageled her opponent in the finals 6-0, 6-0. THE CONTENDERS Ashleigh Barty Barty is currently the No. 1 ranked player in the world. She elected not to go to Roland Garros to defend her 2019 French Open title due to COVID, but she is in great form this year. Barty has already won three titles in 2021. However, there is reason to be wary. Barty suffered a strained muscle in her serving arm in Rome, leading to her quitting her quarterfinal match with Coco Gauff after winning the first set. She hasn’t taken the court since retiring from that match. Garbine Muguruza The 2016 French Open champion is currently the No. 13 ranked player in the world. After a rough 2018 and 2019, Muguruza is playing great tennis once again. She reached the final of the 2020 Australian Open, and she won the Dubai Open earlier this year. Muguruza made it to the semifinals of the 2018 French Open, but she hasn’t made it past the fourth round in each of the last two years. DON’T THINK ABOUT IT Serena Williams The queen of women’s tennis still has a powerful serve, but she no longer has a lot of side-to-side mobility. Williams no longer has the stamina to survive long rallies, and she runs out of gas over the course of two-week tournaments. While the 23-time grand slam winner is a legend with two decades of dominance, she hasn’t won a grand slam since 2017 and will turn 40 in September. Bianca Andreescu We have yet to see Andreescu perform well at the French Open. She has never made it further than the second round and didn’t participate in any grand slam events last year. Although Andreescu is one of the most talented players in the world, winning the 2019 US Open, she was bounced in the second round at the Australian Open in February. With that recent track record, it’s hard to have a lot of faith in Andreescu.
2021 PGA Championship Preview
The second major of the year will be held outside of Charleston, South Carolina this weekend. The 2021 PGA Championship will take place at the beautiful Kiawah Island Golf Resort off the coast of the Palmetto State. Rory McIlroy is expected to win after winning the Wells Fargo Championship two years ago, and McIlroy won the last PGA Championship held here in 2012. Event Details Event: PGA Championship Category: PGA Tour Date: May 20 – May 23, 2021 Location: Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Kiawah Island, South Carolina Past Winners 2020: Collin Morikawa -13 2019: Brooks Koepka -8 2018: Brooks Koepka -16 2017: Justin Thomas -8 2016: Jimmy Walker -14 We saw Collin Morikawa hit 65 and 64 on the weekend to win the 2020 PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park last August. Morikawa was able to hold off 2018 and 2019 champion Brooks Koepka and others despite this being just his second appearance in a major. Koepka beat out Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods in 2018 and 2019, and Justin Thomas bested the field at Quail Hollow Golf Club in 2017. Each of the last four PGA Championships has been decided by two strokes. McIlroy dominated at the 2012 PGA Championship here on Kiawah Island. He made history with his eight-stroke victory, surpassing Jack Nicklaus as the golfer with the best margin of victory at a PGA Championship. While every other player struggled to make par, McIlroy closed out the weekend with a 67 on Saturday and a 66 on Sunday to finish 13-under. The strong wind led to no golfer hitting better than a 69 on Friday, and that’s something to watch this year. The Course This is the longest course in the history of golf majors. Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course is now a whopping 7,876 yards, so big hitters will have an edge. However, this links’ style course being right on the water is going to severely punish golfers if the winds are up. There isn’t an extremely windy day in the cards according to the most recent weather reports, but there will be close to 10 MPH of wind for most of the major. The 2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island was the toughest tournament that year. According to Rob Bolton at the PGA Tour’s website, the average round was 2.6 strokes over par and there were a whopping 286 double bogeys. The 2021 PGA Championship should see some of the highest rounds all season with that in mind. Prediction To Win the Tournament: Bryson DeChambeau Given the length of the course and the prioritization of long drives, Bryson DeChambeau should do well here. DeChambeau brings the most lumber of any golfer on the PGA Tour, ranking first in driving distance at 322.0 yards. He won last year’s US Open and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, so he is in good form and there is some pressure off his shoulders now that he has claimed a major. Who’ll Finish In The Top 5: Brooks Koepka There isn’t a golfer that rises to the occasion like Brooks Koepka. Although Koepka has missed the cut in his last two events, he won the Waste Management Phoenix Open and finished runner-up at the WGC Championship in February. Koepka has four major wins to his credit and has finished top ten in 13 majors since 2014.
2021 Stanley Cup Contenders
Things are a little different with this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs. Due to COVID, teams were sorted into new divisions and the traditional format was abandoned in order to try to minimize potential outbreaks. That led to a North Division, a West Division, a Central Division, and an East Division being formed without regard to conferences. The four playoff teams from each division will have a knockout tournament amongst their division rivals, and the winners of those divisions will go on to make their own version of the Frozen Four. EAST DIVISION Team to Beat – Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh has made it to the postseason for each of the last 15 seasons. The Penguins have been a consistent threat with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin setting the pace, and they have won three Stanley Cups since 2009. Crosby and Malkin are once again the stars of the team, but the real story of the season is how the young players have developed. Jake Guentzel is coming into his own behind Crosby and Malkin. Bryan Rust is shining on the wing, and Kris Letang continues to be a solid two-way defenseman. Jared McCann and Kasperi Kapanen have emerged as solid offensive options, and the defense has done just enough. Goaltending could be an issue. Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith have been the backstops this year, but neither Jarry nor DeSmith has been great between the pipes. They will benefit from playing the New York Islanders instead of the Washington Capitals or Boston Bruins in the first round. NORTH DIVISION Team to Beat – Toronto Maple Leafs Is this the year that Toronto finally snaps its Stanley Cup drought? The Maple Leafs haven’t lifted the cup since the league expanded from the Original Six in 1967. They have had some decent teams, but they have yet to even win their conference for more than five decades. Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews have shined. The two young guns are producing at a high level, and Matthews ended up tallying 40 goals in just 50 games. John Tavares, Jason Spezza, and Joe Thornton are all veterans that can provide leadership, but it’s the youngsters that will carry this team in the playoffs. Toronto may have found a hidden gem in goaltender Jack Campbell too. CENTRAL DIVISION Team to Beat – Tampa Bay Lightning The defending Stanley Cup champions have dealt with a lot of injuries this season. Nikita Kucherov didn’t play during the regular season after undergoing hip surgery in the offseason, and Steven Stamkos has been out for over a month. However, both Kucherov and Stamkos are expected to be ready for the start of the playoffs. That will make the Lightning a tough out as other players have been able to get more ice time and experience. Victor Hedman is still one of the league’s top defenders, and both Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat have had fine seasons. Andrei Vasilevskiy has been the best netminder in the NHL this season, so teams won’t find it easy to get pucks past him. WEST DIVISION Team to Beat – Colorado Avalanche Few teams are as dangerous on offense as Colorado. Nathan MacKinnon is proving himself to be one of the best young centers in the league, and Mikko Rantanen has thrived alongside him. Gabriel Landeskog and Andre Burakovsky have played well on the wing, but the rise of defenseman Cale Makar has helped make this team something special. Makar won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie last season after recording 50 points in 57 games. He has been even more efficient this season, and he could be in line to beat out Hedman for the Norris Trophy. Makar has the potential to go down as one of the all-time greats when it comes to offensive defensemen.
2021 NBA Championship Update
This has been one of the most entertaining regular seasons that the NBA has seen in quite some time. There are stakes for almost every team over the last couple weeks of the regular season, so most teams will be motivated to finish strong ahead of the playoffs. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers are seen as the team to beat in the Western Conference although they won’t finish in the top four, while the Brooklyn Nets are the favorites in the Eastern Conference after acquiring James Harden early in the year. WESTERN CONFERENCE Team to Beat – Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers were in contention for the top spot in the Western Conference before the injuries to Anthony Davis and LeBron James. The Lakers struggled with their two superstars out of the lineup for several weeks, leading to them stumbling in the standings. They are now dueling with the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers to avoid the play-in round, and if they finished behind those two teams, they might have a hard time defending their title. There’s no doubt that this team has the highest ceiling in the Western Conference despite the mediocre regular season. Davis is one of the best big men in the NBA, and James is still playing at an elite level despite being 36 years old. Montrezl Harrell was a great addition in the offseason and picking up Andre Drummond shortly after the deadline gives this team a lot of size. The guard play isn’t great, but James has thrived as the set-up man for this offense. Biggest Challenge – Utah Jazz The No. 1 seed in the Western Conference is likely to be either the Utah Jazz or the Phoenix Suns. Utah is a far more dangerous team in the playoffs though considering how the Jazz play defense. They rank first or second in the NBA in most defensive categories, and both the interior and perimeter defense are elite. Rudy Gobert will be out to make amends after his last postseason was subpar, and the guard play is strong. Donovan Mitchell, Mike Conley, and Jordan Clarkson have all shined at points this season, and Bojan Bogdanovic can be a real difference maker. EASTERN CONFERENCE Team to Beat – Brooklyn Nets We haven’t seen the Brooklyn Nets make it out of the second round of the playoffs in almost two decades, but they are the most likely team to come out of the Eastern Conference given the star power on the roster. Although Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden have all missed significant amounts of time due to injury this season, Brooklyn has kept pace with Philadelphia and Milwaukee in the standings. Durant and Irving are healthy and playing at a high level, while Harden is expected to be ready for the playoffs. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan give the Nets size off the bench, and role players like Joe Harris have taken on larger roles when necessary. Biggest Challenge – Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid was the frontrunner to win the NBA MVP this season before he missed almost all of March due to injury. Embiid played just three games in the month of March, but he has been able to stay healthy for most of this year. He has proven that he is the most dominant center in the Eastern Conference, and Embiid can take over the game for long stretches. Philly has a secondary star in Ben Simmons, and he is one of the best on-ball defenders in the league. Simmons has yet to develop a shooter’s touch, and might never develop it at this point, but he does so many other things that make him valuable. The Sixers have three players making at least 40% of their threes too in Tobias Harris, Danny Green, and Seth Curry.
2021 NFL Draft Preview
The 2021 NFL Draft is going to be a lot more lively than its predecessor. Commissioner Roger Goodell will be back to giving handshakes and bear hugs as most of the athletes have been vaccinated, and fans will be in attendance too. It won’t be the jubilant party that we have seen in the past, but it will be a lot closer to normal than the 2020 NFL Draft. First Overall Pick There’s little doubt who the Jacksonville Jaguars will take with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. Trevor Lawrence is the surefire first pick off the board. The Clemson product is the most NFL ready quarterback since Andrew Luck almost a decade ago, and there’s no chance Jacksonville passes on the biggest sure thing in this year’s draft. Second Overall Pick The New York Jets currently have the No. 2 pick in the draft. Most draftniks have them pegged to take a quarterback, and it looks like BYU’s Zach Wilson will be the selection. Wilson had a great 2020 campaign with the Cougars, but he didn’t play a lot of tough competition. He did not have a solid 2019 season either, so it’s a bit of a surprise to see him vault his way to becoming the second overall pick. How Many Quarterbacks Will be Taken in the First Round? There are likely to be at least five quarterbacks selected in the first round of this year’s draft. Lawrence, Wilson, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, and Mac Jones are all pegged as first round picks. While there is a lot of consensus on the first two quarterbacks off the board, there is disagreement with who will come off the board next. Fields is the most likely option given what we saw from him against elite competition at Ohio State. He was given almost as high of a grade out of high school as Lawrence by recruiting services, and he had an excellent 2020 campaign despite not having as much talent around him as he did the previous season. Jones was able to flourish in his senior year in Tuscaloosa. Jones had the most talented receiving corps in the country and took advantage of it to lead Alabama to a national title. He was not seen as a first round talent until the draft process got underway, but there are some observers that like his polish and appreciate his experience under Nick Saban. The biggest enigma in the 2021 NFL Draft is Trey Lance. Lance only played one full season at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, but he lit up opposing defenses. He didn’t throw a single interception in any of his 16 starts during the 2019 season, and he threw for 2,786 yards and 28 touchdowns while running for 1,100 yards and 14 touchdowns. Who Will Be the First Non-Quarterback Selected in the 2021 NFL Draft? We will see a lot of quarterbacks taken early in the first round, but there is a question over who will be the first non-signal caller taken on Thursday. Tight end Kyle Pitts, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Devonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle are all candidates to be the first non-quarterback off the board. Pitts has a great chance to be the highest tight end selected in NFL Draft history. Vernon Davis was the No. 6 pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, and he currently holds the honor as the earliest tight end to come off the board. Pitts might be the No. 4 or No. 5 pick, so we could see history being made with his selection. Sewell has been considered the top offensive lineman in this class since last year, and his decision to sit out the 2020 season has not affected his draft stock. He is a potential franchise offensive tackle. The class of receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft is considered one of the best ever, and this year’s crop isn’t that far off. Chase, Smith, and Waddle are all first round locks, and all three of the receivers could go in the top ten.
Championship Bouts Headline UFC 261
For the first time in over a year, there will be a full house for a UFC event. UFC 261 will have no attendance restrictions due to COVID, so we will see as many as 15,000 people in attendance to watch three title fights. Kamaru Usman will face Jorge Masvidal for the welterweight title, Zhang Weili will take on Rose Namajunas for the women’s strawweight belt, and Valentina Shevchenko will defend her women’s flyweight strap against Jessica Andrade. UFC 261 will be held on Saturday, April 24, 2021 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. The early prelims will start at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and the prelims proper will begin at 8 p.m. ET. The main event will be available via PPV through ESPN Plus at 10 p.m. ET. Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal Usman (18-1) lost his second professional fight, but he has since reeled off 17 straight wins on his way to becoming the UFC welterweight champion. The Nigerian Nightmare (sorry Christian Okoye) proved he was the best welterweight with his unanimous decision victory over Tyron Woodley at UFC 235, and he has successfully defended his belt three times. Usman secured a fifth-round TKO over Colby Covington at UFC 245, won a unanimous decision over Masvidal at UFC 251 last July, and picked up a third-round TKO of Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 in February. The last time Masvidal stepped into the ring with Usman, he was kept in the clinch for most of the bout. Masvidal filled in for Burns a week before the fight after the latter tested positive for COVID, and he didn’t fare too well. However, the current BMF champion is hoping that a longer training plan with more prep work will help him here. Masvidal won three straight fights in spectacular fashion before the loss to Usman. His five-second KO win over Ben Askren is the fastest knockout in UFC history, and he also earned knockout wins over Darren Till and Nate Diaz. He is always a threat to knock out opponents with his explosive power, but Usman is a very disciplined fighter. Zhang Weili vs. Rose Namajunas Weili (21-1) lost her debut MMA fight before dominating the Chinese MMA scene. She went on to win the KLF and Top FC strawweight championships before transitioning to the UFC three years ago. She has won all five of her fights since joining the UFC, and Weili claimed the UFC women’s strawweight belt with a quick first-round TKO of Jessica Andrade in August 2019. Her first title defense at UFC 248 was a little rocky though, as she beat Joanna Jedrzejczyk by split decision. This will be Rose Namajunas’ first fight against someone not named Joanna Jedrzejczyk or Jessica Andrade in four years. She won the UFC strawweight championship off Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 in November 2017, and she successfully defended the belt in the rematch at UFC 223. Namajunas was then knocked out by Jessica Andrade at UFC 237 and lost the belt, but she did win the rematch against Andrade by split decision at UFC 251. Valentina Shevchenko vs. Jessica Andrade Over the last 10 years, Shevchenko has only lost in the Octagon twice. Both of those losses came to Amanda Nunes, but she has run roughshod over the rest of the competitors in the flyweight division. Shevchenko has won six straight fights at flyweight and has held the women’s flyweight title since securing a unanimous decision win over Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231 in December 2018. We have seen her successfully defend the title against Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, Katlyn Chookagian, and Jennifer Maia without much trouble. Andrade is a newcomer to flyweight. She previously took on Weili and Namajunas at strawweight, and she made the decision to drop down a class after losing those two bouts. Andrade beat Chookagian by first-round TKO in her flyweight debut six months ago, but Shevchenko has dominated this di