Usman the heavy favorite for UFC 251 title defense vs. Masvidal

The odds for the UFC welterweight title bout between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal have been released.

The champion is a strong favorite, currently sitting at -280, according to theScore Bet. The challenger, who stepped up on a week's notice, is a +230 underdog.

Usman and Masvidal are scheduled to meet Saturday in the UFC 251 main event on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

"The Nigerian Nightmare" was initially slated to defend his belt against No. 1 contender Gilbert Burns, but the Brazilian was pulled from the bout after testing positive for the coronavirus last week. The new matchup was finalized Sunday.

Usman is coming off a fifth-round TKO over Colby Covington in his first title defense in December. "Gamebred," meanwhile, had a breakthrough 2019, earning victories against Darren Till, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz.