Manager shuts down Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal rematch talk

It sounds like we can pump the brakes on talk of a welterweight title fight between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal.

Masvidal, the UFC’s No. 4 welterweight contender, was on Spanish-language commentary duty for last weekend’s Canelo Alvarez vs. Avni Yildirim boxing match. After Canelo’s lopsided win, Masvial partook in an interview with Boxing Express, during which he claimed he’ll be challenging Usman for the UFC welterweight title in September.

“Right now I’m focused on me fighting for the belt which is going to be in August or September, actually September we just got word on this,” Masvidal said. “So you’re like the second person actually to know this right now. That’s just how luck works man. A lot of MMA media sites are going to be mad I dropped it on yours first, boxing of all people. They’re going to call me a traitor. But that’s what I’m worried about.”

While this comment from Masvidal quickly made the rounds in the MMA media, Usman’s manager Ali Abdelaziz claims there’s no such fight on the table for September.

“Masvidal doesn’t decide anything,” Abdelaziz told MMA Fighting after Masvidal’s comment. “He needs to sit down and keep working his wrestling. When the champ makes a decision maybe he will give them an opportunity but for now nothing [is] happening.”

Masvidal and Usman have fought once before. The pair first met in July, 2020, when Masvidal stepped in to challenge Usman on just a week’s notice, replacing the champion’s originally slated opponent Gilbert Burns. Masvidal lost that fight by decision.

Despite the recency and decisive outcome of their fight, Usman himself recently expressed interest in a rematch with Masvidal, seemingly to dispel the notion that Masvidal underperformed due to his shortened training camp.

Do you think we’ll see Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal fight again in 2021?