Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal is official.
Usman was set to put his UFC welterweight championship on the line against Gilbert Burns in the main event of UFC 251 on July 11. Plans changed when Burns tested positive for COVID-19. This opened the door for Masvidal to save the UFC 251 headliner. He will now challenge Usman for the 170-pound gold.
Official Hype Video For Usman vs. Masvidal Released By UFC
UFC president Dana White took to his Twitter account to release the official hype video for Usman vs. Masvidal.
While a new main event is scheduled for UFC 251, there are still hurdles to clear. Masvidal and Usman must pass multiple COVID-19 tests before fight night. If all the tests come back negative, they will be cleared to throw down on Saturday night.
This is a spot that Masvidal was supposed to have secured from the beginning. The direction was headed towards Usman vs. Masvidal as early as January when White revealed those plans, but negotiations fell apart. “Gamebred” claimed he was only being offered half of what he made fighting Nate Diaz back in Nov. 2019. The title shot was then given to Burns before the positive COVID-19 test.
Usman will be entering his second UFC welterweight title defense. He’s coming off a fifth-round TKO victory over Colby Covington back in Dec. 2019. Usman is on a 15-fight winning streak and hasn’t suffered a loss since May 2013.
As for Masvidal, he’s riding a three-fight winning streak. In that span, he’s beaten Nate Diaz, Ben Askren, and Darren Till. All three of those victories ended via knockout or TKO.
