"I was actually shocked" - Kamaru Usman explains how Jorge Masvidal surprised him in their first fight

Kamaru Usman has revealed how Jorge Masvidal surprised him in their first fight at UFC 251 in July 2020. The fight witnessed ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ beat Masvidal via unanimous decision. Usman recently recalled being particularly surprised by 'Gamebred’s' ability to get back to his feet after being taken down.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA’s Megan Olivi, Usman discussed multiple topics. The reigning UFC welterweight champion notably addressed the upcoming fight between Masvidal and Colby Covington, which is set to go down at UFC 272 this weekend.

Alluding to Covington’s famed wrestling prowess, Olivi asked Usman whether he believes 'Chaos' would have a significant advantage on the ground against Masvidal. The reigning welterweight champ responded, saying:

“No, I don’t think so. I think the thing that Jorge does very well is his ability to get back up. And I was actually shocked in my [first] fight with him because I am more of a control guy. And so, his ability to get back up a few times let me know that this is something that he’s done for a long, long time.”

He added:

“And I think Covington understands that well, as well, and I don’t think that’s Covington’s plan. I don’t think his plan is to hold him [Masvidal] down. I think his plan is to get a hold of him; drag him down, make him get up and drag him back down, to eventually wear him out.”

Watch Kamaru Usman’s conversation with Megan Olivi below:

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John McCarthy feels Khamzat Chimaev could end Kamaru Usman’s title reign

John McCarthy recently suggested that undefeated welterweight star Khamzat Chimaev could be the one to dethrone Kamaru Usman.

During an episode of the Weighing In podcast, McCarthy lauded Chimaev’s well-rounded skillset while discussing a potential matchup between the welterweight duo, saying:

"The guy's [Chimaev] a stud, he's got it all, he's got stand up, his wrestling is phenomenal, he's got good submissions, the guy's a stud. Can he beat Usman? Absolutely. Can Usman beat him? Absolutely."

Watch John McCarthy give his take on a potential Usman-Chimaev matchup below:

Usman is recovering from hand surgery and is likely set to defend his title in a rematch against Leon Edwards later this year. Meanwhile, Chimaev is rumored to be fighting Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 on April 9th.