"You deserved to be in there with me" - Kamaru Usman hails Gilbert Burns as the best fighter in the UFC welterweight division after him
Kamaru Usman has hailed his most recent opponent, Gilbert Burns, as the best fighter in the UFC welterweight division after him. Usman consoled an understandably distraught Burns by telling him that he thoroughly deserved to share the Octagon with him in a heartwarming tweet.
Usman and Burns locked horns in the main event of UFC 258. Although there was an early flourish from Burns in the fight, Usman was quick to subdue it and mount his own offense to get the better of his former teammate.
Usman knocked out Burns in the third round of the fight to create history by becoming the fighter with the longest winning streak in the welterweight division.
Before the fight started, Kamaru Usman refused to touch gloves with his former teammate, but the display of mutual respect after the fight was commendable, to say the least. Usman embraced Burns and consoled him as the latter broke down into tears.
Kamaru Usman later justified his decision not to touch gloves with Burns before the fight by claiming there could be no display of friendship inside the Octagon during a fight.
He further claimed that Burns had made the fight somewhat personal due to his pre-fight comments about taking the belt from Usman.
"My mind is different than these guys when we get in there. I see no face. That is my octagon... He said I have something he wants and I'm coming to get it. What's more personal than that?"
Kamaru Usman wants to finish Jorge Masvidal in a rematch
Following his win against Burns, Kamaru Usman called out Jorge Masvidal. The Nigerian Nightmare claimed that he wants Masvidal to go through a full training camp for the rematch to not have any excuses after getting beaten. Usman also vowed to finish Masvidal if the rematch ever comes to fruition.
"We got this little street thug, calling himself 'Jesus', he thinks he's Jesus. We tried to make that fight several times but he kept backing out. The only reason this man took the fight was because it was on six days' notice and he had a built in excuse. He is still running his mouth, talking about how he broke my nose and saying give him three weeks and he's going to do something."
"Guess what? It's not done. I'll give you a whole training camp and I guarantee you will sign on that dotted line because this time, I will finish your a**. Any one of these fools can get it, anyone of them. But if he keeps running his mouth, if he's going to talk, step in here because you got to see me."
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