Getty Jorge Masvidal looks on during a UFC 239 welterweight bout against Ben Askren.
Since the conclusion of UFC 258 on February 13, it appeared welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and No. 4 ranked Jorge Masvidal were on a collision course for a rematch, but things may have changed.
After defeating Gilbert Burns in the main event, Usman challenged Masvidal. “Gamebred” and his management responded the same night, showing interest in the fight.
UFC president Dana White also appeared to be interested in the bout, meeting with “The Nigerian Nightmare” earlier this week about the contest.
However, it now looks like the fight is in question.
On Friday afternoon, Usman took to Twitter, writing, “F*** it I’m not feeling generous anymore. Anyone can get it #AndStill.”
A few minutes later, Masvidal responded to Usman’s tweet, writing, “That’s what I thought. Full camp he says nope! Got cold feet when you heard we said yes #freebritney.”
See the exchange below:
Usman and Masvidal fought in July during the main event of UFC 251. Gamebred took the fight on less than a week’s notice after Burns tested positive for COVID-19. The Nigerian Nightmare won the bout by unanimous decision.
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Usman Recently Told ESPN He Wanted to Put Masvidal ‘In the Ground’
Earlier this week, The Nigerian Nightmare spoke with ESPN about the potential fight with Masvidal.
“[Masvidal] knows he can’t beat me,” Usman said via ESPN. “There are certain guys you just know, ‘I can’t beat that dude.’ He just doesn’t have the skills to beat me. Now, can a freak accident happen on any given day? Absolutely. But 10 times out of 10, I beat him badly, which is why I looked at him. It’s my show. I pick who I fight. At this point, I just didn’t like all the circumstances I had to deal with going into [the first fight with Masvidal], and it left a sour taste in my mouth. The s*** they’ve talked has left a sour taste in my mouth. I need to put him in the ground for good.”
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Usman’s Manager Said the UFC Considering Usman vs. Masvidal as Coaches for ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
According to Ali Abdelaziz, Usman’s manager, UFC president Dana White is interested in Usman and Masvidal coaching opposite of each other for the coming season of The Ultimate Fighter, which is set to start filming later this year.
“Kamaru said, ‘Listen, The Ultimate Fighter on ESPN, the biggest platform in the world, that’s what we want,’” Abdelaziz said via ESPN. “Jorge Masvidal is a star, you can’t take that away from him, but we believe Kamaru will go out and put a nail in the coffin this time. Kamaru and Dana sat down and on our end, we’re all for it. Dana is the boss and he makes the decisions, but I think Dana is showing him the respect of giving him what he wants. It makes sense for everybody.
“There is no contract yet, but did Dana like the idea? Of course. Now, he has to think about it and we’re hoping it gets done on the other end.”