- The UFC 251 will see Jorge Masvidal challenging Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title.
- Surprisingly, Masvidal replaces Gilbert Burns, who tested positive for COVID-19.
- The two have a history of verbal incidents and are considered as the best in their division.
- Apart from this battle, UFC 251 features two more title contests.
Masvidal Jumps in Instead of Burns
Nobody could foresee this development. Masvidal and Usman weren’t able to strike a deal for almost six months, and now, the American found a mutual language with the organization and Usman within six days away from the fight.
It seems that such a move was logical for the organization. Especially if we add that the two are considered to be the best welterweight fighters right now.
“Obviously Masvidal has become a massive star over the last year-and-a-half, and that’s the fight that people want to see. So when Burns fell out, we got in a room and figured Masvidal out,” said Dana White about Gamebred coming into this one as a replacement.
Everything happened once Gilbert Burns revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 and that he has to back out of the event. It was a massive blow for the Brazilian, who was in excellent shape at the moment, and who fully deserved a chance to share the ring with the champion.
“When you get into negotiations for fights, these things happen. Gilbert Burns has been on a tear and was consistently fighting and wanted to continue to fight and was the number one contender,” said White.
For the fans, the outcome might be even better, because Masvidal and Usman are the two most sounding names in the division right now. And not just that, but they have a history of trash-talking, which will only increase the overall tension surrounding the match. Having in mind that this is the headliner of the entire UFC 251, Dana White’s move seems perfectly logical.
Masvidal comes into this fight with 35 wins and 13 losses, and with three straight victories – against Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz (for the BMF belt).
On the other side, Usman has 16 wins and one defeat, and is without a loss in the previous 15 matches. The most recent one was in December once he defeated Colby Covington to become the undisputed welterweight champ.
Two More Title Fights at the UFC 251
After Henry Cejudo retired, the bantamweight throne was left vacant. Jose Aldo and Petr Yan are about to decide who will become the next champion of this division. Both guys are in solid shape, and the fans hope to see a very good battle. For Aldo, it is the last chance to capture the belt, while Yan presents a rising force in the UFC.
One more title contest is the rematch for the featherweight belt between Alexander Volkanovski, who took the title from Max Holloway at the UFC 245. Back then, the Aussie won via unanimous decision, and ever since, there is a massive hype over this matchup.
