[autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] claims he’s offered to defend his welterweight title in the main event of UFC 249 next month. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]’s manager, however, insists the champion is lying.
With all signs pointing to Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson falling apart for a sixth time and the UFC in need of a new headliner for its increasingly makeshift April 18 card (which still does not have a location), Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) said he stepped up to the plate and told UFC president Dana White directly that he would face Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC).
Usman detailed the situation Monday on social media, and said he first pitched the idea to White on March 24.
“Last Tuesday I knew that Khabib was out of the country,” Usman said on Instagram Live. “I texted Dana directly. I said, ‘Dana, I understand situations are going on. But guess what? I haven’t really been training like that, but I’m willing to come in and I’m willing to save that event.’ I’m willing to save it because at home people don’t have anything to watch. They need some entertainment. People want to see this fight. People want to see me and fake-ass journeyman Masvidal. People want to see the fight? Let’s do it.”
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Despite a lack of training camp, Usman said he was prepared to compete, so long as the UFC put proper precautions in place to keep him safe amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. However, despite a Twitter post to the contrary, he’s adamant the Masvidal’s side didn’t want to comply.
According to Usman, the UFC and Masvidal’s management struggled to pin Masvidal down for an immediate answer. Finally “Gamebred” was reached, and according to Usman, the answer he got back was the fight was declined.
“It’s not going to happen to be honest,” Usman said. “He has turned down the fight. He has turned it down. He said, ‘No, I’m not ready to fight. I’ve been smoking and drinking and I’m fat and I’m not ready to take the fight.’ That’s what he said. He’s been drinking that liquor that no one can pronounce the name of.”
Masvidal’s manager, Abraham Kawa of First Round Management, didn’t take Usman’s assertions lightly. He admitted to the UFC making contact about potentially making the fight prior to Monday’s news that Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson was likely off, but he said Masvidal agreed, which is where his account conflicts with Usman.
“I just want everybody to understand one thing: If there’s one thing you know about Jorge, he doesn’t have to lie,” Kawa said on Instagram Live. “He has no reason for him to lie. He’s got no issues. We have accepted the Usman fight twice now. Two times. Once for NYC (at UFC 244) – and we all know how that ended up. Usman said no. He didn’t want to make that fight happen. He wanted I don’t know what. (He had) some injury or no injury. I don’t know, man. It’s weird with him and his stuff.
“Now, we accepted again and he’s saying we turned it down. That’s a damn lie. We got the phone call. We were asked. We knew this was coming. We said, ‘Absolutely. Let’s go.’ We knew how this was going to go. Did we think Usman would take the fight? Well, let’s see. He didn’t take it on seven weeks’ notice last time. What makes any of you guys think he’s going to take it on two weeks’ notice this time? It wasn’t going to happen. You guys can say what you want. I know, on our end, we accepted. Whatever happened after that, I can’t tell you, man. I just know this is two times we’ve said yes to Usman and two times we don’t have an answer.”
Usman, who needed nine consecutive wins in the welterweight division before capturing the belt, said he was willing to put the gold up for grabs even under the less-than-ideal circumstances. He believes Masvidal was simply being a “clout chaser,” though, and never intended to actually step in the octagon in less than three weeks’ time.
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Where the truth ultimately sits remains to be seen, but Usman refuses to back down from his position that he was all-in on saving UFC 249. Not just for him, but for the others fighters and spectators around the world keen to watch the UFC product.
“I’m the real African gangster,” Usman said. “A fight is a fight. My fight IQ is better than all these guys. When it comes down to bringing that dog out and really go out there and get the fight, no one is touching me. I said, ‘I’m going to do this. Take care of me. I’m going to do it. I’ll put my title on the line. Take care of me.’ I’ve never been that company man. I’ve never been the one to be a company man, ‘Oh, I’m going to do what the company needs.’ But the higher I got in the sport, and now that I’m at the top ,and seeing how these events went together and how these things are getting done with Sean Shelby and Dana and Mick (Maynard) and Hunter (Campbell).
“I see how hard these guys work to put these things together and if an event falls out it’s not just the main event that falls out. Everyone on the card can’t eat – everybody. They’re screwed. We got guys that at making $10,000 (to show) and $10,000 (to win) that haven’t fought for five months or six months, and now this as their fight and now they can’t fight for – who knows how long this thing may last. If there’s a possibility I can go in and save this event, I’m willing to go in there and risk it all to save the event.”
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