Kamaru Usman, the UFC welterweight champion, now has two decisive victories over ‘Gamebred’ Jorge Masvidal. Even though Usman has claimed that his first victory over Masvidal was not by chance, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ has no reservations about defending his title against Masvidal for the third time.
Usman, like any other champion, can face any opponent who has earned the right to compete for the belt. The same is true for Masvidal, but the champion has his own set of requirements.
Usman was asked by ESPN if he would fight ‘Gamebred’ for the third time in a title defence.
He replied, saying, “Yeah, I would [consider a third fight with Jorge Masvidal]. If he went out and did the right things, then yes, I think I would consider it.
“If he went out and got some wins over top contenders, and really showed the world that he is still able to compete, then of course, I’ll give him another shot. You know, maybe he had a bad day the last fight.
“Maybe he had a worse day the fight before that. So I will give him an opportunity to show everyone that third time is the charm.”
Usman and Masvidal in the past
Masvidal and Usman first met in the main event of UFC 251, with the former filling in on short notice. Usman won the fight by unanimous decision.
The general opinion in the combat sports community was that if Masvidal had been given enough training time, he might have pulled off an upset at UFC 251.
To dispel any doubts, Usman invited Masvidal to reclaim the title at UFC 261. In round two, the champion delivered a threatening straight right bang on Masvidal’s temple, handing him his first KO defeat.
What is Jorge Masvidal’s next step?
Masvidal has not given up on his championship ambitions just yet. He is a seasoned fighter and has 50 professional fights under his belt. The Miami sensation is well aware that his professional boxing career is coming to an end.
Nonetheless, he intends to tie the UFC gold belt around his waist before calling it a day.
There has been no word about who Masvidal intends to fight next. However, the now-seventh-ranked fighter must win several fights before returning to title contention.
Fighting an up-and-coming top ten candidate like Neil Magny might be a good place to start. Another logical rival on the list is the loser of Gilbert Burns vs. Stephen Thompson, which is scheduled to take place on July 10 at UFC 264.
Read more: “It will not last forever”: Kamaru Usman keen to make the most of his purple patch