Kamaru Usman is looking to leave Saturday with multiple belts.
UFC welterweight champion Usman faces “BMF” champ Jorge Masvidal in the main event of UFC 251 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
It’s Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) who’s putting his title on the line, but the welterweight champ says since Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) gives a lot of value to his “BMF” belt, then it should be up for grabs, too.
“That’s my (expletive), absolutely,” Usman told TMZ. “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 ass and ragdoll him, that (expletive) is coming home with me so I can throw it in my closet.”
Usman was originally scheduled to face Gilbert Burns, but after Burns tested positive for COVID-19, the UFC circled back to the original No. 1 contender, Masvidal.
But despite the last-minute change in opponent, Usman remains unfazed. The only difference is, he’s going from fighting a teammate in Burns to a man he’s been trading barbs with for a while.
“It’s just a minor change, but at the end of the day, when you’re in training camp and you train the way that I train, you see no face,” Usman said. “At the end, you see no face. I have to be ready to, when I cross into that octagon, I have to turn on the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ and leave Kamaru Usman on the outside.
“Now it’s just a little extra push to go in there and really do some damage – so it didn’t make me no difference.”
