By Akeem Lawal
NIGERIAN born USA-based mixed martial artist, Kamaru Usman put on a 'Fight Island' masterclass Sunday to retain his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight world title by grinding down a brave Jorge Masvidal in Abu Dhabi.
"I'm at the top of the mountain and everyone's looking at me," declared the 33-year-old Usman after scoring a unanimous points decision 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 on the three judges' cards.
Usman The Nigerian Nightmare (17-1) looked the fresher with Masvidal (35-14) having taken the UFC 251 headline bout at just six days' notice when Brazil's Gilbert Burns (19-3) tested positive for COVID-19 and was unable to travel.
The Las Vegas-based UFC pulled off a power-packed schedule with three world title fights to kick off a series of mixed martial arts cards.
It helped fulfil supremo Dana White's vision of a coronavirus-free 'Fight Island', something he first floated when the pandemic caused a global shutdown of sport in March.
UFC has decamped to Abu Dhabi's locked down Yas Island in the United Arab Emirates until the end of July to isolate fighters from the threat of the COVID-19 and ensure the shows roll on.
Strict protocols mean athletes and staff are tested twice before leaving for the UAE, and twice again on arrival, before spending 48 hours in quarantine -- measures that caught out Usman's original opponent Burns (19-3).
Usman never gave the 35-year-old replacement Masvidal the space to land the combinations for which he is noted, and he monstered Cuban-American when the action hit the cage, and the canvas.
"Gamebred (Masvidal) is the biggest, baddest dude out there right now and I had to take him," said Usman.
"I know a lot of noise was made about him preparing on short notice but all these guys are preparing for one guy and that's me.
"I'm just at a level better. I have more tools in the tool box and when I need to I can pull them out and use them."
Following the victory, fans and fellow fighters took to social media to complain about the lack of action shown in the first headliner on “Fight Island.” Usman is fine with the reactions, he said, because other great champions of combat sports have faced the same criticism.
“There was a time where people started hating Floyd Mayweather because he was so dominant,” Usman told reporters at the UFC 251 post-fight press conference. “Floyd’s defense was so good, and he was just so good at what he did. We can agree on that. He was so good at what he did where everyone was like, ‘No, that’s boring. He’s not fighting.’ Why? Because people want to see a bar fight?
“We’re risking our lives in there. What is the point of training every day, and then going in there and slugging it out, taking punches? You train to be able to make someone miss, to control someone in a certain way. That’s what training is for, so you’re not just going in there and taking punishment at will. I do that better than anybody.”
Jorge Masvidal however gave credit where credit is due.
Despite accepting a UFC 251 main event bout against welterweight king Kamaru Usman on just six days’ notice, Masvidal had no desire to make excuses about his unanimous decision loss on Saturday night.
Instead, the first and only “BMF” champion paid homage to Usman on a job well done while also putting the spotlight on his own shortcomings.
“I hate coming up short,” Masvidal said at the UFC 251 post-fight press conference. “I’m not going to make no excuses. He was the better man tonight. There were some areas where I didn’t give him enough credit, and there were some areas I felt with a better training camp I could definitely surpass him. I think I showed a lot of my wrestling on six days’ notice that I’m not too easy to take down and to hold down on the ground.
“I made a lot of mistakes. I tried to fight in spots, since I didn’t feel my gas tank was the greatest. He fought in better spots. Right when I’d get loose and open up, he was able to clinch me up and take it back into his world. So I’m not going to take anything away from him. He won fair and square. I’ll do whatever it takes to get back in front of that man and compete again and get my hand raised.”
No comments:
Post a Comment