Can Jorge Masvidal finish the fight against Kamaru Usman? (Opinion)
Jorge Masvidal takes on Kamaru Usman for the UFC Welterweight title on Fight Island. This is promises to be an intriguing matchup. Even though Kamaru Usman is the favorite it would not be wise to count out Jorge Masvidal.
Gamebred is on a three-fight winning streak after his UFC comeback. The brutal knockouts against Darren Till and Ben Askren and the dominant performance against Nate Diaz have shown a different side of Jorge Masvidal.
And this change in mindset has played huge roles in Masvidal's last three fights. He is coming into a fight looking for the finish. However, will he be able to continue to do the same against Kamaru Usman?
The last time a high-level wrestler fought Jorge Masvidal we all witnessed what happened. The Gamebred knocked him out in five seconds with a flying knee. However, can that be replicated against Kamaru Usman?
Striking of Jorge Masvidal against Wrestling of Kamaru Usman
That flying knee from Jorge Masvidal was a genius move. He predicted that Askren would lean to get the takedown. However, if Masvidal fights Askren again the possibility of that fight ending in similar fashion is very small.
Against Kamaru Usman it's even more difficult. Usman is not as good as Masvidal when it comes to striking. But his striking is rudimentary and effective. His power gave him a huge advantage over Colby Covington.
So, even though Kamaru Usman will be looking to take the fight to the ground he can afford to trade strikes with Masvidal before the level change. It will be difficult for Masvidal to get an early finish against someone as durable as Usman.
And Usman will take down Masvidal sooner or later. However, if Masvidal can be offensive with his strikes on the ground and do enough damage on the feet to slow down Usman in the fourth or fifth round, then things will get interesting. The Nigerian Nightmare does not slow down and can fight at a tremendous pace for the entire five rounds.
However, if Masvidal can do enough damage especially to the body and then look for the finish in the championship round then he surely can get a TKO victory over Kamaru Usman. It might come from a flying knee as well.
Even though Kamaru Usman would be a favorite in this fight Jorge Masvidal has a solid possibility to win the welterweight champion. It'll be intriguing to see how Masvidal responds to Usman's relentless wrestling. But you better believe that Masvidal has the ability to finish the fight against Kamaru Usman.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article belongs to the writer and doesn't necessarily represent Sportskeeda's stand.