Jorge Masvidal Loses to Kamaru Usman
Bad blood centred around the bout of Kamaru Usman & Jorge Masvidal, with both men having uttered ignorant sentiments towards each other through Twitter. Those remarks extended towards public interviews with ESPN, NBC Sports, and other outlets. The fallout from their rivalry was highly anticipated amongst UFC supporters. Hope would inevitably be lost after Jorge Masvidal & other fighters contested the lower salaries being offered by Dana White.
The UFC President reacted by informing all those competitors that their services wouldn’t be needed any longer. Jorge Masvidal wouldn’t have been greenlit to compete against Kamaru Usman unless Gilbert Burns hadn’t contracted COVID-19. After burns were confirmed infected with the coronavirus, Dana White was forced to resume negotiations with Jorge Masvidal. After both parties signed a contract, Masvidal was provided Six days to prepare for UFC 251. This is one of the lowest training periods ever seen in UFC history.
The Fight Explained
Jorge Masvidal began this fight faster than anyone had anticipated, snapping multiple combinations face-first into Kamaru Usman. The tides would turn when the Nigerian Nightmare implemented a leg kick, dropping Gamebred immediately to the ground. South African wrestling was then used against Jorge Masvidal, making it hard to overcome. This doesn’t mean the BMF Titleholder didn’t show formidable takedown defensive strategies. He wouldn’t have managed to reach the 3rd round without defending against Usman’s wrestling.
When the 3rd round unfolded, Jorge Masvidal was tired & struggling to meet the pace shown by Kamaru Usman. It didn’t take long for the Nigerian Nightmare to overcome Gamebred with another takedown, which lasted nearly four minutes. Jorge wouldn’t reach his feet until seconds remaining on the final round. Thanks to the skillsets shown by Masvidal throughout the first round, and half of the second round, the differences between their scoring wasn’t extensive. Kamaru “Nigerian Nightmare” Usman maintained a scoring of 50-45, 50-45, and 49-46.
Usman Interviewed
Kamaru was questioned by ESPN Reporters on his feelings towards his victory & maintaining his twelve-fight winning streak. Usman retorted that what unfolded wasn’t his plan & that he would’ve instead competed with hand-to-hand combat. However, Usman changed his training strategies when learning he’d fight against Gilbert Burns. That’s what prompted the Clinch & Wrestling tactics. Usman suggested a rematch in the standard way welterweights compete, which would allow the Nigerian Nightmare to implement real damage against Masvidal. Gamebred accepting that bout is an entirely different story, with Dana White preferring Jorge compete against Conor McGregor in the upcoming future.
