Usman, Masvidal trade barbs at press conference
Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal got heated during Thursday's UFC 261 prefight press conference.
Usman is set to defend the welterweight title against Masvidal on Saturday at the first UFC event with a full crowd in attendance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, will host the card, which features two other title fights.
The main event will be a rematch from the highly anticipated fight between Usman and Masvidal last July. "Gamebred" stepped in on six days' notice for that bout and lost by unanimous decision. Now he'll try to capture the belt following a full training camp - and smaller weight cut.
"Not having to cut 20 pounds in six days means a lot to me. ... All the energy I wasted on cutting weight is going to be spent in putting a finish on him," Masvidal said.
Usman questioned Masvidal's ability to beat him, and the challenger responded by slamming the champion's grappling-heavy tactics in their first fight at UFC 251.
"You rubbed feet with me," Masvidal said. "I thought you were going to fight. You rubbed your feet on mine pretty well. You're pretty good at rubbing my feet."
"Your face didn't say that," Usman said.
"I didn't get the broken nose," Masvidal responded. "You did."
"I came in the fight with a broken nose," Usman said.
"OK, cool," Masvidal said. "Got it."
Usman is 1-0 since his title defense against Masvidal, knocking out Gilbert Burns at UFC 258 in February. Meanwhile, Masvidal hasn't stepped into the Octagon since his first UFC title shot. The rematch was booked largely because Usman wanted to beat Masvidal again and not let him have any excuses.
"Alright, let's just be honest here. ... You got 14 losses in your career, seven in the UFC. You're 3-3 in your last six," Usman said to Masvidal. "You are sitting there today because I chose you. I'm coming around the track, and you're the first guy that I'm about to lap. Period."
Masvidal responded with a promise of how Saturday's rematch will unfold.
"I'm going to bust your face up, break more bones than last time," Masvidal said.