Usman beats Masvidal to retain UFC welterweight belt

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

Kamaru “The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman drew all the tricks up his sleeve to retain his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight belt by defeating late replacement Jorge “Gamebred” Masvidal in UFC 251.

The efficient striking of Usman proved to be the difference-maker in the bout after successfully landing successive jabs and elbows that slowed down the pace of Masvidal.

Sensing his advantage over Masvidal, Usman played out a technical style of fighting after gaining scores from 1-2 combinations and solid punches from the first to the last round.

Masvidal, who was the late replacement for Gilbert Burns after testing positive for COVID-19, tried to keep up with his aggressive grappling but the loose Usman was able to get away from his opposition’s gameplan and led throughout the match.

In the later rounds of the fight, Masvidal was able to get the fans in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates up to their feet after connecting with solid right hands and an uppercut but it was not enough as the judges scored in favor of Usman.

The win improved Usman to 17-1 including 12 straight victories in the UFC octagon and his second successful title defense in the welterweight division.