Jorge Masvidal explains why he dislikes “coward” Kamaru Usman

Jorge Masvidal is not a fan of UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who he’ll fight in the main event of UFC 251 this Saturday.

Masvidal was originally expected to be the next man in line for Usman. When he entered into a heated and highly publicized contract dispute with the UFC, however, the promotion awarded the next crack at Usman to Burns. Burns then tested positive for COVID-19, at which point the UFC approached Masvidal about stepping in to fight Usman on short-notice.

The fight was made official on Sunday night.

Now just six days out from his fight with Usman, Masvidal has made it clear that he intends to inflict some serious damage on the champion—in his own words “break his face.”

“I’m happy, more than anything, because I get to break this guy’s face, then get paid for it,” Masvidal told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani shortly after the Usman fight was made official.

The welterweight title challenger then explained why he harbors so much animosity toward his rival.

“Have you not seen him speak, how he speaks about everybody?” Masvidal said when asked why he’s so keen to punish Usman in the cage. “Everything’s just negativity and downplaying people.

“A wise man said this quote to me, and he broke it down in a much better way than I can break it down, but listen: [Some people say] ‘I’m going to dim your light to make mine brighter.’ No, I’m just going to make my light as bright as I can. [Usman has] constantly been throwing disses at me for awhile. I just don’t believe anything he says. I know the coward that he is.

“I’ve known this guy for quite some time in South Florida. He’s a guy who was coming up, asking for pictures [with me] four or five years ago. Now you’re this thug life guy? I don’t believe it, man.”

Masvidal also recalled an infamous Usman interview, during which the champion pretended not to know who he was, despite being cage-side for Masvidal’s record-shattering, five-second knockout of Ben Askren.

“Now you don’t know who I am? You’re fake as fuck,” Masvidal said, addressing his rival directly. “On our given date, I’m going to prove to the world just how not real you are.”

Who do you think will come out on top when Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman collide at UFC 251 this Saturday?