When UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman appeared backstage to chat with the press at this past weekend’s UFC 247, he fielded a barrage of questions about his potential matchup with “BMF” titleholder Jorge Masvidal.
UFC president Dana White had already gone public about his plan to book Usman vs. Masvidal for the UFC’s July pay-per-view event during International Fight Week. But, while chatting with reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage at Toyota Center, Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) hinted at one scenario that could potentially derail that matchup, and it involves a certain Irishman.
“Hey, if that’s one thing you guys know about the UFC, nothing’s a done deal unless it’s a done deal,” he said, before confirming, “No, we haven’t signed anything yet.”
When asked what could potentially stand in the way of his mooted bout with Masvidal, Usman looked down, adjusted his hat, then looked up with a broad grin.
“Everybody likes ‘Red Panty Night,’ right? I like ‘Red Panty Night’ myself,” he said. “It is what it is. Once those contracts are signed, everything is signed, sealed and delivered.”
Does this mean a fight with Conor McGregor could be the backup plan for Usman in the event of the Masvidal fight falling through? Or could the McGregor fight become the UFC’s Plan A heading into the summer?
“Like I said, everybody likes ‘Red Panty Night,'” Usman said. “So, I don’t know. We’ll go back and we’ll take a look at that.”
One thing Usman was sure about was that if a matchup with McGregor became a reality, holding it during International Fight Week would be perfect for the welterweight champion.
“Absolutely!” he grinned. “What? That might be the nice ‘Red Panty Night’ with the laces and everything. Anything could happen; let’s just say that. Anything could happen.”
With two potential big-fight options for the summer seemingly being discussed behind the scenes, it’s no wonder Usman was all smiles in Houston.
