Jeff Smith 
@adminGoing into the fight on Saturday night at UFC 261 in Jacksonville Florida, Kamaru Usman felt he had some unfinished business to attend to, and he did just that. He put rival Jorge Masvidal on the mat just one minute into the second round of the bout.
It was the second meeting between these two. The first was at UFC 251 in which Masvidal took the fight on very short notice, when Usman’s original opponent Gilbert Burns was diagnosed with Covid-19 and had to withdraw. Even with only 6 days to prepare Masvidal had a better showing, going the full five rounds before losing by unanimous decision.
Although “The Nigerian Nightmare” dominated Masvidal in the first fight as well, he felt unsatisfied with the win. “I needed to put a definitive finish on that chapter, and I did that tonight,” he stated after the fight.
Usman is the number 2 ranked pound-for-pound best fighter in the UFC, behind Jon Jones, and showed why in this last fight. The Nigerian fighter feels he is a little higher on the ladder though, “With my fundamentals, I am the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet right now,” Usman boasted.
UFC president Dana White had even higher praise for the welterweight champ, “One of the best ever, and he’s on his way to probably being the greatest of all time. When you go in and you beat the guys who are looked at as the best in the world…. convincingly, it’s all part of cementing that legacy that this guy is going to have some day.”
After the fight, Usman praised Masvidal “Thank you to my man, Jorge. You elevated me. It’s been a while since I’ve been extremely nervous for fights. He elevated me. He made me go to the workshop. I had to sharpen all my tools. I had to come out here and put on a performance like that.”
From Masvidal’s side, it was a similar show of respect. “It hurts. I’ve never been knocked out in 50 pro fights. Usman showed me something he didn’t show me the first fight.” and “All the props to him in the world. He caught me by surprise. He’s got my number. Nothing I can say, he won this fair and square. God bless him.”
So who is next for the Nigerian? After the bout, White announced it would be number 1 ranked Colby Covington. It is a re-match of UFC 245 where Usman scored a fifth round TKO. Covington still disputed the ref’s call and complained about Usman’s tactics in the fight. Outside of that bit of controversy, it was one of the toughest matches Usman has had.
No official odds are out yet, but there is no doubt after his last performance Usman will be more favored than his -200 in the last meeting between these two. While it is not a great bet on such a heavy favorite, pick the over/under or a round decision and you might make a little more.
