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Before Jorge Masvidal attempts to become the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight champion by taking out division king, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 251 this Sat. (July 11, 2020), let’s go back in time to the first time “Gamebred” tasted championship gold.
And it was a different type of gold, as Masvidal defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 244 last November for the “BMF” title, a championship bout that took on a life of its own. And it was all thanks to Diaz, who called for the fight, which prompted Dana White and Co. to step up and out of normalcy for a bit to create a one-of-one strap for the bout.
The bout lived up to expectations, as both men came out determined to out “gangsta” the other inside the cage. Masvidal, however, was clearly having the advantage on the feet all night, busting Nate up throughout the duration of the fight. And that proved to be Nate’s downfall, as his tendency to cut easily prompted the ringside doctor to put an end to the fight earlier than anyone wanted.
Well, except maybe Canelo Alvarez.
Talks of a rematch surfaced soon thereafter, but the bout never came to be as Diaz once again announced he’d be taking a break from the fight game. That said, he could be tempted to return after Saturday night, as Masvidal has gone on record saying that he will gladly give the Stockton slugger first dibs at his 170-pound strap should he prove victorious.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 251 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+/ESPN “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET, then the remaining undercard balance on ESPN+/ESPN at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
To see the latest UFC 251: “Usman vs Masvidal” fight card click here.