UFC 251 is in the books and Jorge Masvidal was defeated by Kamaru Usman.
Masvidal challenged Usman for the UFC welterweight championship on July 11. The 170-pound title bout headlined UFC 251 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. “Gamebred” found some success in the opening frame but he wasn’t able to expand on that for the rest of the fight. Usman’s pressure and strong grappling skills earned him the unanimous decision victory.
Jorge Masvidal Says Mistakes Were Made Against Kamaru Usman
While Masvidal took the title bout on short notice, he’s still disappointed in himself. With that said, he told reporters during the post-fight press conference that he’ll do all he can to eventually fight Usman a second time (h/t MMAJunkie).
“I made a lot of mistakes. I tried to fight in spots where I didn’t think my gas tank was the greatest. Right when I would get loose he would clinch me up and take it right back into his world. So, I’m not going to take anything away from him. He won fair and square. I will do whatever it takes to get back in front of that man and compete again and get my hand raised.”
“Gamebred” had a ton of hype going into UFC 251. While Masvidal’s popularity has skyrocketed within the past year, many weren’t convinced that he could pull off a win over “The Nigerian Nightmare.” That assumption was correct this past Saturday night.
UFC president Dana White has expressed his excitement over a title bout between Usman and Gilbert Burns next. Burns was set to challenge Usman for the welterweight title but “Durinho” tested positive for COVID-19. Once Burns is good to go, White said Burns is likely to get that championship opportunity.
