Kamaru Usman insists he is going to ‘ragdoll’ late replacement Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 on Saturday night.
Usman was slated in to take on Gilbert Burns in the main event on UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night, but the Brazilian tested positive for coronavirus last Friday.
Masvidal, who was originally in line to take on Usman – the Nigerian Nightmare – before negotiations broke down over pay, swiftly declared himself available to replace Burns at short notice.
However, ‘Gamebred’ Masvidal himself is already looking ahead to a potential bout against Nate Diaz or Stephen Thompson after this weekend’s fight.
The 35-year-old, who claimed the ‘Baddest Mother F*****’ belt (BMF) against Diaz in November, has even posted images of himself on Instagram ‘negotiating’ on the phone and taking a coronavirus test.
Masvidal claimed the money he was originally offered for fighting Usman was only half of what he got for the Diaz fight.
That purse was then matched, but Masvidal wanted more, as well as a higher cut of the pay-per-view revenue but despite the disagreement, Masvidal has saved Dana White’s show this weekend by stepping in.
Responding to the BMF title potentially being up for grabs at UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, Usman told TMZ Sports: ‘That’s my (expletive), absolutely.
‘They’re saying it’s a “BMF” – they’re really considering this a real title, kind of an interim thing or whatever.
‘They’re really considering this a title. So you know, yes – after I go out there and beat his a** and ragdoll him, that (expletive) is coming home with me so I can throw it in my closet.’
UFC president White has not actually yet confirmed whether the ‘BMF’ title will be up for grabs when the pair meet on Sunday morning.
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