Jorge Masvidal will be squaring off against Kamaru Usman once again, at UFC 261. Leon Edwards gives his opinion on who he thinks will win in the rematch.
Kamaru Usman and Masvidal will go head-to-head for the second time when they meet again for their rematch at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. UFC president Dana White has confirmed that 15,000 fans will be attending the fight.
The pair last fought at UFC 251, after Jorge Masvidal stepped in to replace Gilbert Burns. Masvidal had taken up the fight on 6 days’ notice and half a camp. As a result, Masvidal ended up losing to Usman.
WE ARE BACK!!!!!!#UFC261 April 24th. Jacksonville, FL. FULL CROWD. pic.twitter.com/5dy7wb4OWE
— danawhite (@danawhite) March 16, 2021
However, fans and fighters voiced their praise for Masvidal. He was commended for his performance where he was able to keep on fighting till the final bell. Masvidal lost to Usman via unanimous decision.
Usman took this personally and ended up calling out Masvidal for a rematch. He feels that he needs to ‘rectify’ some things and does not want to leave things unresolved. He has ensured that Masvidal does not have an excuse this time.
Leon Edwards favors Usman to win again. “He’s the smaller man, he doesn’t look strong in the clinch, his wrestling ain’t great, his jiu-jitsu ain’t great,” he added. According to Edwards, Masvidal has no new tricks up his sleeve.
Can Jorge Masvidal Deliver This Time?
Jorge Masvidal will be feeling the pressure this time around. Whilst he may consider himself lucky to be getting another shot at the title so quickly, Masvidal will have his work cut out for him. Moreover, a large portion of the fan base believes in him and he cannot let them down a second time.
Jorge Masvidal punches Kamaru Usman of Nigeria in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 251 event in Abu Dhabi. (Credit: Getty Images)
However, Kamaru Usman will find himself under immense pressure as well. He put his title and his dignity on the line when he opted to call out Masvidal for a second fight.
Naturally, it will be a high-risk – high-reward situation for both fighters. We will either see Masvidal finally get his hands on the welterweight title, or watch Usman establish himself as one of the best of all time.
Either way, fans, and experts have speculated a very tight contest. For one, two have already fought before and ‘Gamebred’, will be adequately prepared this time around. But will Masvidal deliver or will Usman reign supreme once more? We shall find out on the 24th of April,2021.
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