The official UFC rankings are a farce. That sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. The entire system seems to be predicated on the whim and fancies of the voting panelists, many of whom don’t even appear to closely follow mixed martial arts…
The official UFC rankings are a farce. That sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. The entire system seems to be predicated on the whim and fancies of the voting panelists, many of whom don’t even appear to closely follow mixed martial arts…
Jorge Masvidal would rather get a second crack at Kamaru Usman than big money fights with Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Masvidal challenged Usman for the UFC welterweight title on July 11. The bout headlined UFC 251 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. This was…
Jorge Masvidal would rather get a second crack at Kamaru Usman than big money fights with Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz. Masvidal challenged Usman for the UFC welterweight title on July 11. The bout headlined UFC 251 on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. This was “Gamebred’s” first UFC title opportunity. He ended up losing the […]
Kamaru Usman defended his welterweight crown with a unanimous-decision win (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) over Jorge Masvidal on Saturday at UFC 251 from Flash Forum at UFC’s “Fight Island” …
Kamaru Usman defended his welterweight crown with a unanimous-decision win (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) over Jorge Masvidal on Saturday at UFC 251 from Flash Forum at UFC’s “Fight Island” …
Jorge Masvidal is hellbent on facing Kamaru Usman again. Masvidal stepped in on six days notice to face Usman for the welterweight title in the UFC 251 headliner this past weekend. Despite a promising start, “Gamebred” was eventually dominated by “the Nigerian Nightmare” who utilized effective clinch work and wrestling to grind out the unanimous […]
Jorge Masvidal is hellbent on facing Kamaru Usman again.
Masvidal stepped in on six days notice to face Usman for the welterweight title in the UFC 251 headliner this past weekend. Despite a promising start, “Gamebred” was eventually dominated by “the Nigerian Nightmare” who utilized effective clinch work and wrestling to grind out the unanimous decision victory.
Despite stepping in on short notice, Masvidal gave full credit to Usman for the win but expressed his desire in wanting a rematch on a proper camp. The feeling remains the same a couple of days later when asked which fight he wanted next.
“It’s a no-brainer,” Masvidal told ESPN (via MMA Junkie). “Could they offer me bigger names that pay me more money? Yes. For a fact. But if it’s up to me, Usman.
“For me stepping up on six days’ notice when no one else would. Because no one else would. A lot of people are saying that they would, but who else did it? Ask Dana (White). Who else was actually like, ‘Hey, Masvidal didn’t do it, I’ll do it. I’m right here.’ So, if it’s up to me Usman right away. I don’t care if they can offer me a bigger fight or not, I would like to fight Usman.”
‘Stubborn’ Masvidal Would Turn Down McGregor
Masvidal is so stubborn in wanting the Usman rematch that he would even be willing to turn down a lucrative fight with Conor McGregor.
Masvidal feels he is already making enough to last him forever. That is why his urge to prove he is better than Usman will trump the money.
“You could tell me (I’m fighting Conor) McGregor right now and will pay me X, Y, Z dollars: ‘The biggest pay-per-view event in history,’” Masvidal said. “I feel I get compensated well enough now that I keep making the right decisions I’ve been doing, then this money is forever money.
“So it’s not about money. It’s about I want that damn belt and I’m stubborn and I know I’m better than Usman and I want to prove it. I want to fight again. I’m not going to take nothing from him. He won the first one. Let’s do it again and that’s it. Then after that then whatever comes next after that. But Usman’s the thing I want the most. The immediate rematch with Usman.”
Even if UFC offered @GamebredFighter an opportunity to headline "the biggest PPV event [in] history" against Conor McGregor, Masvidal says he'd turn it down for a rematch with Kamaru Usman.
Dana White was certainly pleased with how well UFC 251 did this past weekend. The pay-per-view kicked off the Fight Island events on Saturday with a stacked card featuring three title fights. Of course, the biggest fight on the night was the main event which saw Jorge Masvidal step in on six days notice to […]
Dana White was certainly pleased with how well UFC 251 did this past weekend.
The pay-per-view kicked off the Fight Island events on Saturday with a stacked card featuring three title fights.
Of course, the biggest fight on the night was the main event which saw Jorge Masvidal step in on six days notice to face Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title.
White: Masvidal Is A Big Star
Although Masvidal failed to win the strap, there was plenty of interest in the event thanks to his addition and according to reports, it generated approximately 1.3 million buys — making it one of the biggest pay-per-views in UFC history.
“It was a very successful event,” White said on Tuesday when asked if the figures were accurate (via MMA Fighting). “We’re happy. This thing killed it across the board in every way you could possibly kill it. It was awesome. The thing did really well.
“… I said it to you guys the other night, when you put on a fight, a successful promotion of an event, it’s a big melting pot of different things. ’Fight Island’ was a massive star in this thing. Masvidal is a massive star. Obviously, Usman, the champion and a guy that we’re all starting to realize is tough to beat and a great card underneath it. It all came together perfectly.”
While it’s unfair to attribute all those buys to Masvidal — who became a mainstream star after his impressive 2019 run — it’s clear that his addition clearly drummed up even more interest.
And it appears White acknowledges that Masvidal is one of the few in the promotion who can now move the needle.
“Yeah, he’s a big star,” White added when asked about Masvidal’s status as a top draw.
Do you think Masvidal played a big role in the UFC 251 buyrate?
Jiri Prochazka made a statement in his UFC debut but he believes he made too many mistakes. Prochazka entered his UFC debut on July 11 with some hype, at least among hardcore fans. The former RIZIN light heavyweight champion shared the Octagon with Vol…
Jiri Prochazka made a statement in his UFC debut but he believes he made too many mistakes. Prochazka entered his UFC debut on July 11 with some hype, at least among hardcore fans. The former RIZIN light heavyweight champion shared the Octagon with Volkan Oezdemir. Prochazka knocked Oezdemir out cold in the second round. Jiri […]
Jorge Masvidal is hellbent on facing Kamaru Usman again. Masvidal stepped in on six days notice to face Usman for the welterweight title in the UFC 251 headliner this past weekend. Despite a promising start, “Gamebred” was eventually dominated by “the Nigerian Nightmare” who utilized effective clinch work and wrestling to grind out the unanimous […]
Dana White was certainly pleased with how well UFC 251 did this past weekend. The pay-per-view kicked off the Fight Island events on Saturday with a stacked card featuring three title fights. Of course, the biggest fight on the night was the main event which saw Jorge Masvidal step in on six days notice to […]