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The last person to defeat the current UFC title challenger was none other than former title challenger and fan favorite, Stephen Thompson. The two had clashed back in 2018 and the loss to Stephen Thompson had prompted Jorge Masvidal to take a break from the sport and return in an excessively violent fashion in 2019.
In an interview with a podcast, Stephen Thompson went into detail what it was like to face Jorge Masvidal in UFC and what was it that Kamaru Usman could expect. Stephen Thompson began by saying that the one thing Kamaru Usman needed to be sure of was that he could not mentally break Jorge Masvidal.
UFC fighter Stephen Thompson praises Jorge Masvidal
Stephen Thompson said that once you start piecing apart a fighter they usually break. However, Stephen Thompson then added that Jorge Masvidal was different and that Masvidal was great at taking damage.
“Well, you’re not going to break his spirit out there,” Stephen Thompson informed listeners. “Normally you see guys fade when they’re getting pieced up. He’s very good at taking damage and after every fight, you don’t really see Masvidal messed up. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the guy with a cut, or ever banged up. He takes damage very, very well."
Stephen Thompson then spoke about the mental aspect of facing Jorge Masvidal. He said that one couldn't break his spirit. While addressing the wrestling gameplan of Kamaru Usman, he said that there is a limit one can take a person down.
“You can’t break his spirit, and that’s going to be a big part of this fight (at UFC 251). The first two or three rounds, he could get taken down every round. But he’s gonna go out there with the same tenacity, that same intensity as he does in the first round in the fifth round. That’s how Masvidal is."
This is an interesting analysis by Stephen Thompson. Masvidal is a tough fighter but the fact that his former UFC opponent is saying that he can't be broken down mentally or physically is a great compliment.
