"His own coach questions his ability" - Jorge Masvidal's manager slams Kamaru Usman ahead of UFC 261 rematch
Jorge Masvidal's manager Ibrahim Kawa thinks Kamaru Usman won't be as fortunate as he was during the pair's first encounter.
After successfully defending his welterweight title against 'Gamebred' at UFC 251, Kamaru Usman received his fair share of criticism for resorting to the use of footstomps in the fight.
While he may have been scored as the winner on the judges' cards, the MMA community had much to discuss about the incident. Now, ahead of their highly-anticipated rematch at UFC 261, Kawa feels that the 'Nigerian Nightmare' is sure to succumb to the onslaught.
"Usman CAN’T stand with Jorge. The tug and hug approach that he used in the first fight won’t work this time around. Jorge knows what to expect, Usman has no clue what’s it’s like to be in there with a gassed up Jorge. Trevor even told him post fight in not so many words he shouldn’t stand with Jorge."
"(he)Must suck his own coach questions his ability against Jorge. Jorge may be limited in the wrestling but I do recall wrestling wasn’t the issue the first fight. It was getting off the cage and avoiding toe stomps that ran up the strike count. Wish one Of the trolls on here would actually do a count of how many clean strikes each guy landed. Usman is in for a completely different fight this time around. April 24th can’t get here fast enough!"
How did Kamaru Usman defeat Jorge Masvidal?
During their first outing at UFC 251, Kamaru Usman had a clear edge over Masvidal in the wrestling department. Intelligently securing enough takedowns before using the cage to his advantage, Usman nullified Masvidal's pressure by forcing him away from his strengths.
While the 'BMF' champ did manage to land a respectable number of strikes during the fight, being held against the cage kept Usman outside the line of fire.
In the post-fight press conference, a mature Jorge Masvidal took the defeat well. After promising his fans a different outcome in his rematch with the champion, Masvidal will look to make the necessary adjustments in order lay his hands on UFC gold.
But will he be able to weather the consistent pressure from Kamaru Usman's wrestling?
Be sure to leave us with your picks and predictions for the UFC 261 blockbuster main event between Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal?