"Make him beg for it" - Daniel Cormier doesn't think Kamaru Usman should have called out Jorge Masvidal
Kamaru Usman is not feeling generous anymore. Following his impressive victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 258, 'The Nigerian Nightmare' said he would follow up on his duties next by facing Jorge Masvidal in a rematch. However, in a Twitter post made by Kamaru Usman this past Friday, it seems as though the champ has other plans.
Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal last met in the octagon during their highly-anticipated bout at UFC 251. Fighting on just six days notice with the added burden of a grueling twenty-pound weight cut, 'Gamebred' took Usman the distance, but came up short. Inching through with a unanimous decision win, Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal seemed destined to fight again.
The fight game is a funny business. Fights slated to happen today, in all possibility, may be scrapped tomorrow. But MMA journalist Ariel Helwani thinks a fight of this magnitude simply cannot be abbandoned. Speaking with former UFC champion and commentator Daniel Cormier, the two spoke briefly about their thoughts and opinions on the subject.
According to Daniel Cormier, Kamaru Usman is doing something he ought not to do. Calling out Jorge Masvidal whilst being a dominant champion was looked down upon by Cormier, in an attempt to explain the possible reasoning behind it.
"The one thing about Kamaru, I did not like him saying - give me Masvidal. Because you're the champ! You don't call anyone out. They call you out, if you're the champion."
What's next for Kamaru Usman?
Kamaru Usman is a massive pay-per-view star. Acknowledging this, Daniel Cormier continued to say that he understands why Usman would initially go in the Masvidal direction. However, with the situation progressing into a murky mixup, little is known about what the UFC has in store for its fans. With Colby Covington refusing to fight Leon Edwards, a possible match-up between Covington and Masvidal for championship contention may be on the horizon.
Concluding the discussion, Ariel Helwani went on to suspect Kamaru Usman for changing the narrative. Posting a picture with his manager Ali Abdelaziz and UFC president Dana White, Usman is said to have denied approaching the UFC's boss for a potential rematch against Masvidal.
"What he's trying to do now is - he calls his shot, he got what he wanted, he took a picture with the boss, everything's good. Masvidal didn't come to the table as quickly, and now he wants to change the narrative and be like "No, no, no. I am the last one to come to the table. I am the king here." - Ariel Helwani
Who do you think is next in line for Kamaru Usman? Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below!