Kamaru Usman Wants Rematch With Jorge Masvidal, Plans to Finish Him This Time

At last night’s UFC 258, UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman successfully defended his title against Gilbert Burns with a third-round knockout. With the win, Usman has now broken the record previously held by Georges St-Pierre for most consecutive wins at welterweight in the UFC. At the post-fight press conference, Usman spoke about what’s next and voiced that he wants to face Jorge Masvidal again. Usman previously defeated Masvidal by unanimous decision at UFC 251 in July 2020. Masvidal has also voiced on wanting a rematch since taking the fight on less than a week’s notice. Below are some highlights (via MMAFighting).

Kamaru Usman on wanting a rematch with Masvidal: “I said put some respect on my name for a reason. That fight, he had a built in excuse. That’s the only reason he took that fight. We tried to make that fight twice before. He said no. When Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and I think it was [Tony] Ferguson fell out, we tried. I called Dana [White] and I said ‘hey, it’s two weeks’ notice, I really haven’t been training but I’ll step in if you need me to’ and they tried to make that fight but Masvidal said no. He did an interview to where he said ‘oh the numbers weren’t right and this and that.’ He’s been saying no. The only reason he took that fight on Fight Island is because it was a built in excuse. He was training the whole time but he’s saying ‘I only had six days’ notice, that’s why that went that way.’”

Usman on what he had to deal with for the first fight: “You would think he learned that the first time because I dealt with worse. Everyone was saying ‘oh he took the fight on six days’ notice’ but guess what? I took it on six days’ notice. I was here in Las Vegas flying back home. They called me while I was in between fights in Dallas. I had to leave my bags, leave the airport, call my parents to pick me up at the airport, they picked me up, went straight to Target, bought a scale, stepped on the scale. Not to mention, I ate like a pig the night before because I said I had no fight. I’m 195 pounds when I step on the scale. Call the coach down there, Tony Cabello, I said ‘hey Tony, we need to work out.’ Worked out like crazy that night, got off about five or six pounds, then I got on the scale, I said we’re within striking distance. Next day, flew back to Vegas then flew to Abu Dhabi. I had maybe approximately four days, I didn’t sleep at all to prepare for that fight and he had a built in excuse.”

Kamaru Usman on wanting to finish Masvidal this time: “’Oh I took the fight on six days’ notice, give me three weeks and see what I’ll do.’ I’ll give you a whole training camp. This time I want to stop him for real because I think that’s the only thing that’s going to close his mouth. Pretending walking around here like he’s Jesus or something. Well, I’m going to put him in a coffin this time. This time I will stop him. I promise you. That’s why I was disappointed in myself that last fight because I know I can stop him but with all the circumstances took place, I just went out there and dominated him from start to finish. This time I will stop him if he wants to step up.”

On his belief Masvidal doesn’t want the fight: “He don’t want that fight. I guarantee you he doesn’t want that fight. I wouldn’t say if I didn’t want it. Have I lied to you guys yet? About anything? Nothing. I said what I wanted to do and that’s what I’m going to do. Let’s see if it materializes.”