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Esther Lin, MMA Fighting
Daniel Cormier doesn’t want to fight Jake Paul, but if it has to happen, it’s going to be in Cormier’s world.
The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion drew one of the loudest reactions on Saturday during a stacked UFC 261 event in Jacksonville, Fla., when he went face-to-face with YouTube star and combat sports interloper Jake Paul. Paul had already drawn the ire of the crowd just by making an appearance at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena, with chants of “F ck Jake Paul” echoing throughout the arena, but the situation reached a fever pitch when Cormier confronted Paul.
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Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC
With three title fights at the top of the card, there’s little doubt that UFC 261 was promoted as one of the biggest events of the year but hype doesn’t always intersect with reality when the fights actually happen.
Except in the case of this past Saturday night, which delivered in every way possible from a raucous crowd in Jacksonville, Fla., to all three title fights ending with dramatic finishes, UFC 261 will likely go down as one of the best events of 2021.
The night was capped off by Kamaru Usman closing the book on his rivalry with Jorge Masvidal with a vicious right hand in the second round that sent the “BMF” champion down to the canvas in a heap. Not only did Usman satisfy his own desire to improve upon his last performance against Masvidal but he shut the door on any questions about where he stands in the division versus all of his contemporaries.
UFC 261 takeaways -- Kamaru Usman might be P4P king; Valentina Shevchenko enters GOAT convo espn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from espn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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Road construction and traffic accidents can make driving a nightmare, especially if your route is an interstate highway with the number 95 in it.
2. Speaking of driving
It can be tough to learn your way around this sprawling city, which is the largest by area in the lower 48. Think of GPS as your new best friend.
3. Speaking of roads
4. Speaking of boulevards
If someone says your destination is on University Boulevard, insist on more information. University Boulevard has a “North,” a “South” and a “West.” There is no such thing as “University Boulevard East.” Well, actually there is, but you’d have to be in places like Silver Spring, Md., or Tuscaloosa, Ala. If neither was your destination, a serious wrong turn has been made.