Former title challenger Jorge Masvidal spoke to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani after coming up short for the Welterweight championship. The ‘BMF’ faced off against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251 in the inaugural event at Yas Fight Island, taking place in Abu Dhabi. The event was a success of epic proportions, much in part to Masvidal’s star power.
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‘Gamebred’ started off the bout strong with crisp strikes landing, however ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ took over from the second. Usman kept the fight at close range and looked uber-impressive in the clinch. Not to mention, he began optimizing his takedowns as the fight progressed.
Jorge Masvidal speaks out
The perennial professional in Jorge Masvidal was ever gracious in defeat. He expressed a desire to step back into the cage with the undisputed champion as soon as possible. Moreover, he touched upon a highly talked about narrative after the fight, which was the numerous foot stomps he absorbed.
The video grab shows the 2019 Fighter of the Year doing a quick dance to prove that his foot sustained no damage.
Ariel Helwani: "Did those [foot stomps] affect you at all?
Jorge Masvidal: 🕺@GamebredFighter showed @arielhelwani his moves as proof of no lasting damage. pic.twitter.com/YpYhozkJkd— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) July 14, 2020
He also followed his display with comments that doubled down on the same. His cardio and conditioning were brought into question as he took the fight on 6-day notice.
“I have a lot of conditioning. I kick heavy bags all the time, hit the pads all the time. So, fighter to fighter, we know that it [foot stomps] doesn’t do anything. I went bike riding yesterday, lifted weights today, that’s not going to stop me from any capacity.”
Masvidal offered no excuses for his performance against Kamaru Usman, who has been a tyrant in the division. Moreover, it remains unlikely that he will receive an immediate title shot considering his competition for the slot. The 170-pound weight class is a murderous row of elite competition. The likes of Gilbert Burns, Leon Edwards, and Colby Covington are champing at the bit.
Regardless of the recent outcome, Jorge Masvidal has proven to be a massive draw and fan-favorite in the promotion. Going forward, he is assured to be booked in marquee opportunities given his impressive track record.
