Watch | Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal get into heated staredown ahead of UFC 261 rematch

By Cole Shelton - April 23, 2021

Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal had one final staredown before their welterweight title fight rematch at UFC 261.

Kamaru Usman, Jorge Masvidal

In the main event of the pay-per-view card in front of a full capacity crowd in Jacksonville, Florida, Usman and Masvidal are running it back. The two met last July at UFC 251 where Usman won a clear-cut decision, but ‘Gamebred’ took the fight on six days’ notice.

Although Usman clearly won the fight, he said he wanted the rematch because he wanted to finish ‘Gamebred’. Masvidal, meanwhile, says he knows he can KO the champ and plans to do just that. Ahead of their rematch, they had one final staredown at ceremonial weigh-ins and it was intense.

The two obviously do not like one another, but Usman says it is not personal, rather it is only business.

“It’s not personal at all. If he’s making it personal, that’s on him, for me, it’s not personal,” Usman said at the press conference about his UFC 261 rematch against Masvidal. “It’s all about business, and he’s that next guy that I’ve picked.”

Kamaru Usman enters the rematch coming off a dominant third-round TKO over Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 in February to defend his belt. ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ had to overcome some early adversity in that fight, as the challenger appeared to have stunned him with a big right hand in the opening round. Prior to that victory, Usman had earned the aforementioned decision win over Masvidal, which was preceded by a fifth-round stoppage of Colby Covington.

Jorge Masvidal, meanwhile, has not fought since he lost to Usman last July. Since then, he was in talks to face Covington and coach TUF, but that did not come to fruition as the Usman rematch took priority. Before his loss to Kamaru, ‘Gamebred’ had earned a TKO win over Nate Diaz and back-to-back KO’s over Ben Askren and Darren Till.

Who do you think wins the UFC 261 rematch between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal?


Topics:

Jorge Masvidal Kamaru Usman UFC