UFC: Jorge Masvidal And Kamaru Usman Trade Blows

After beating Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 and then defending the title against Colby Covington at UFC 245 in 2019, Kamaru Usman currently reigns supreme in the UFC welterweight division. Although the 170lbs division has a second champion. Of sorts. Jorge Masvidal.

When Masvidal beat Nate Diaz at UFC 244, he won the BMF title. And while UFC president Dana White stated at the time that it was a one off title, he has since said that he will likely defend the belt.

And if he gets his way, Dana wants to see Masvidal challenge Usman for the UFC welterweight title next. ‘Gamebred’ however is more interested in a fight with Conor McGregor. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show (as transcribed by MMA Fighting) though, Jorge stated that if the Irishman doesn’t want the fight, he’ll happily ‘baptise’ Kamaru instead.

“He don’t want the fight so I don’t give a f*** no more,” Masvidal said of McGregor. “I’m moving on from that fight. This dude didn’t want the fight. I’m not here to bully. I guess it’s Usman’s head. He sealed Usman’s fate now.”

Following UFC 246, Masvidal’s manager Abe Kawa suggested his man and McGregor fight for an interim title, whilst Usman recovers from an injury to his hand. And Jorge is all for that.

“That’d be good too, if Conor wanted to do that. One of these two guys is gonna have to scrap with me. I’m leaning right now towards Usman, the way he’s been talking, the s*** he’s been saying, but if Conor wants it, we’ll get it done. It won’t be hard to get it done but I’m not going to sit here and entertain bulls*** and stuff, you know? I just want to scrap.”

During a media scrum ahead of UFC 246, Masvidal stated that if money was no object, he’d rather fight Usman but with the money he could earn fighting McGregor, that would be his first pick. Talking to Helwani, Jorge echoed his previous comments.

“I make a considerably larger pay cheque with Conor but if it’s on the personal side, if it’s all potatoes and tomatoes being the same, I would take a lot more pleasure in dismantling Usman’s face than I would Conor’s. I would have a sincere joy inside of me like a kid on Christmas opening numerous gifts if Usman was the dude that I got to baptise.

“There is something about his face. I don’t like it, it doesn’t sit well with me. I don’t like his attitude either. These little comments of ‘who?’ I have been doing this sixteen f***ing years. I’m the fighter of the year, and I’m at your f***ing weight class and you’re going to be as corny and a petty-ass troll and say ‘who?’ The dude ain’t go no personality. He has seventeen different f***ing personalities but not one of them is made for TV. So I want to f*** his ass up.”

After defending his title against Covington at UFC 245, Usman said that he thought Leon Edwards was the most deserving of the next title shot. This comment didn’t sit well with Masvidal.

“There’s a ranking system and I’m ranked in the system. He wants to fight the guy that’s ranked below me that he already beat. He says that’s the tougher fight. He sounds like one hell of a politician to me. And I don’t like politicians.”

Masvidal ended his rant towards Usman with a firm warning.

“Usman, you punk motherf***er. Look me in my eyes Usman when you see this interview and know that nothing but the truth comes from me. You’re f***king dead.”

Shortly after the interview, Usman took to social media to hit back at Masvidal, accusing the BMF champion of not wanting to fight him.

Abe Kawa has since told MMA Junkie that it is his man who calls the shots in the UFC welterweight division.

“If he wants to fight Usman tomorrow, he’ll fight Usman tomorrow. If he wants to fight Conor and Conor is available, he’s going to fight Conor when he wants to fight Conor.

“It was always ‘I need to get paid’ Once I get paid, everything else can come,. The conversation’s changed a little bit and I think it’s changed a little bit just because of how close he is to the title so usually when you’re not that close to it, you just want to get paid, you don’t care about it. Or, you’ve had the title forever you’re like ‘ah I don’t care about it, it’s just metal, I’ll go get paid now.’ In his case, we’re right there so really, the whole 170-pound division flows through him.”

Kawa went on to say that while Masvidal very much wants the UFC welterweight title, his priority remains seeking the big money fight.

“He wants that belt. I can honestly say he wants that belt but he needs to set his family up first and I think the Conor fight is there now.”

Would you like to see Jorge Masvidal challenge Kamaru Usman for the UFC welterweight title next?


See also:


Tagged: , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.