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Kamaru Usman was initially set to defend his UFC Welterweight Championship against Gilbert Burns in the original main event of UFC 251. However, the fight was eventually called off after 'Durinho' tested COVID-19 positive and Usman was left without an opponent.
That was the case until Jorge Masvidal decided to step in and accept a title fight against 'The Nigerian Nightmare' on six-days notice. With Usman now set to defend his title against 'Gamebred', the reigning Welterweight Champion has claimed that he's the one who is risking everything for this fight.
While speaking to ESPN in the lead-up to the fight, Kamaru Usman spoke with Brett Okamoto and stated that he had completed an entire training camp to fight Gilbert Burns and is risking everything heading into this fight.
"I'm the one risking everything. This is a win/win for him [Masvidal]. I'm risking everything and the storyline is 'Oh Masvidal's stepping in on 7-days notice to take on the champ' and I'm the one risking everything here. I had to say yes as well but no it's Masvidal stepping in."
Here is what Kamaru Usman had in say regarding the whole situation:
UFC 251 will mark Kamaru Usman's first defense of the UFC Welterweight Championship since his thrilling win over Colby Covington in the main event of UFC 245.
Usman had won the Welterweight strap at UFC 235 and his fight against Masvidal could possibly be his toughest test in the Octagon so far, considering how the UFC literally booked a new main event on a week's notice.
Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251
Jorge Masvidal's last Octagon outing saw him win the BMF Championship and become the inaugural champion when he defeated Nate Diaz at UFC 244. 'Gamebred' will be stepping in the cage for the first time since the controversial ending to his Nate Diaz fight and despite taking the fight on a week's notice, we could totally expect the performance of a lifetime from Masvidal.
On the other hand, Kamaru Usman will be determined to prove all his critics wrong and will look forward to putting on another show for fight fans around the globe after his win over Colby Covington at UFC 245.
Do you agree with these picks and predictions for UFC 251? Let us know below!
