Jorge Masvidal explains why he's better prepared to beat Kamaru Usman at UFC 261 than he was during their first fight
Jorge Masvidal claims he will be much better equipped to take on the mighty Kamaru Usman in their welterweight title rematch at UFC 261. Masvidal believes that since he doesn't have to undergo a 20-pound weight cut like last time around, he will step inside the octagon in much better physical condition.
When Masvidal accepted the fight against Usman at UFC 251 on just six days' notice, 'Gamebred' was forced to cut 20 pounds in six days to make weight. This happened because he wasn't really preparing for a fight anytime soon when the opportunity to fight Usman came about.
We all know about the rigors of a weight cut. It often leaves fighters feeling dehydrated, weak and fragile just a day or two ahead of the fight. They often fail to reach their peak fitness on the day of the fight and end up losing the said bout. While that's certainly a part of the fight game, the fact that Masvidal just had six days to cut weight last time made it very difficult to give his 100%.
However, this time around, Jorge Masvidal just has to cut down on eight to nine pounds to make weight. He also has more time to do so. The easier weight cut this time around will be the main determining factor in his performance against Usman, claims Masvidal. Here's what Jorge Masvidal told ESPN's Laura Sanko during a recent interaction:
“I’m not going to cut 20 pounds of weight now, mainly of water, in six days. As I stand right now I’m eight, nine pounds before I hit the mark of 170. So it’s a different weight cut altogether. That’s going to be the main determining factor I think.”
Jorge Masvidal claims he won't deny Kamaru Usman a rematch after taking his belt at UFC 261
While Jorge Masvidal plans to hurt Usman badly and become the new king of the UFC welterweight division at UFC 261, he said he won't deny the reigning champ a rematch if he wins.
According to Masvidal, he doesn't want to go down in history as a fighter who is 1-1 against The Nigerian Nightmare. He plans to win at UFC 261, offer Usman a rematch and win again, thus settling the rivalry for good.