Kamaru Usman denies requesting picture with “nobody” Jorge Masvidal

Jorge Masvidal recently claimed that UFC welterweight champ Kamaru Usman asked to take a picture with them when they crossed paths on the set of TUF Talk in 2015.

Usman, however, weaves a very different tale.

While Usman admits he and Masvidal, who was already a part of the UFC roster at the time, crossed paths on TUF Talk, he says he denies asking for a photo with his welterweight rival.

According to Usman, Masvidal was a “nobody” at the time, and hardly the kind of star one would request a photo with.

“Back in 2015, I was on The Ultimate Fighter, (and) obviously ended up winning that season, and they would bring us out to TUF Talk and there’s a picture of us sitting side-by-side,” Usman told ESPN recently (via MMA Junkie). “He was on the show with me and he was just a regular .500 fighter that American Top Team just sent over there just to be a representative for their team. But he was a nobody, really – just a journeyman in the UFC. But I was the one there being interviewed, so this guy is talking about I wanted pictures and this and that from him.”

Masvidal also recently claimed that Usman has “multiple personalities,” and that he changes his persona depending on the situation. Usman begs to differ, and thrust those same accusations back at his rival.

“The real story is, he has turned into everything that he had said that he wasn’t,” Usman said. “A real gangster don’t need to talk about what they’re going to do or what they’re capable of doing or wear pink robes on a two-seater plane in a private jet or whatever. A real gangster don’t need to talk about that.”

Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal are set to square off in the main event of UFC 251 this Saturday night. Usman was originally expected to take on Gilbert Burns, but accepted a short-notice fight with Masvidal when Burns tested positive for COVID-19.