Kamaru
Usman wasn’t pleased that Jorge
Masvidal had a built-in excuse following their first meeting at
UFC 251.
Usman garnered a five-round verdict over “Gambred” in that July
bout, but Masvidal was able to claim that he was hindered by the
lack of a full camp after accepting the fight on a week’s notice.
Despite Usman’s victory being relatively clear cut, that little bit
of doubt left a bad taste in his mouth, so “The Nigerian Nightmare”
targeted Masvidal for a rematch following a stoppage of Gilbert
Burns at UFC 258 in February.
The second time around, Usman brought some closure to the rivalry
by knocking out Masvidal with a massive right hand and follow-up
punches 62 seconds into Round 2 of their UFC 261
headlining bout at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville,
Florida, on Saturday night. He also found a measure of peace that
he didn’t following UFC 251.
“I’m satisfied,” Usman said at Saturday’s post-fight press
conference. “That’s what I said, I wasn’t satisfied with the last
one and I wanted to be satisfied tonight and I got that. It’s
satisfying. I wanted to be satisfied tonight.
“When I compete against another man, I want it to be satisfying in
knowing that man respects me for what I do. That’s all it is. I’m
satisfied.”
Usman has now finished three of his last four title defenses by
knockout or technical knockout. A wrestler by trade, the reigning
welterweight champion was nonetheless confident he could use his
hands to put Masvidal away.
“There’s two setups to that right hand that I just envisioned them
landing,” Usman said. “That one was one of them. I tried the second
one in the first round, but he’s a veteran. He’s game, and he saw
it coming. I just had to stay composed, and I was going to find
it.”
By besting Masvidal in memorable fashion, Usman won his 14th
consecutive bout in UFC competition, the second-longest winning
streak in promotion history behind only Anderson
Silva (16). Usman believes he has done the work to be
recognized as the sport’s top pound-for-pound talent.
“I have big, big goals for myself, and I want to see it on Monday,”
Usman said. “Pound-for-pound, I’m the best fighter on the planet,
and I just want to see that on Monday. I take it a fight at a time.
If people want to consider me the best, then they can. But as of
right now, I do believe that pound-for-pound I am the best fighter
on the planet.”
It appears that a rematch with Colby
Covington is on the horizon for Usman, as UFC president Dana
White has indicated in interviews leading up to UFC 261 and did
again on Saturday night. Usman, who defeated Covington via
fifth-round technical knockout in one of 2019’s best fights, admits
that he will have a difficult time topping that performance if a
second meeting does come to fruition.
“I broke the kid’s jaw. How satisfying can you be after that?”
Usman said. “I’m not really worried about any of these guys. Like I
said, I lapped the field. I’m coming around and I’m coming with a
vengeance. They have to show me something. Motivate me. Jorge, I
wasn’t satisfied so he still motivated me.
“I just want these guys to show me that. Like I said, I’ve fought
everyone that’s been put in front of me. These guys all ducked me
for years. I just came through and I came through like a Miami
hurricane.”