Kamaru Usman shut down claims that he had asked Jorge Masvidal for his picture many years ago.
Usman is set to defend his welterweight title against Masvidal in the UFC 251 headliner taking place this Saturday in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
Things are certainly heated between the pair as they clearly don’t like each other and one can expect fireworks when they eventually collide. And when recently asked where the animosity came from, Masvidal gave his explanation.
“Have you not seen him speak, how he speaks about everybody? Everything’s just negativity and downplaying people,” Masvidal said about Usman to ESPN. “The type of person I am — a wise man also said this quote to me, broke it down in a much better way than I can break it down but listen — ‘I’m going to dim your light to make mine brighter. No, I’m just going to make my light as bright as I can.’
“This man has constantly been throwing disses at me for a while. I just don’t believe anything he says. I know the coward that he is. I’ve known this guy for quite some time in South Florida. He’s a guy who was coming up, asking for pictures four or five years ago. Now you’re this thug life guy? I don’t believe it, man.”
Usman Denies Asking For Masvidal Picture
The insinuation of asking for a picture seems to be from when the pair were both on set for “TUF Talk” back in 2015. That particular season of “The Ultimate Fighter” saw Usman’s Blackzilians team take on American Top Team which is Masvidal’s gym.
However, Usman denies that ever happened — especially as he considered Masvidal to be a “nobody” at the time.
“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 (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 has repeatedly claimed how Usman is fake and has multiple personalities, as recently as Wednesday.
But as far as “the Nigerian Nightmare” is concerned, it’s the opposite.
“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.”
Who do you believe?