Jorge Masvidal was gracious in defeat but wasted no time in demanding a rematch as he shook hands with Kamaru Usman after his defeat at UFC 251 on Saturday night.
As they waited for the judges scores, Masvidal told Usman: “We’re gonna run it back.”
Usman had ground out a decision victory over Masvidal to keep his belt, winning via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46).
Usman used his superior wrestling and clinch work to wear down the challenger over five rounds.
The 33-year-old ripped vicious hooks to the body against the cage and smothered Masvidal on the ground, sapping the challenger’s energy en route to a convincing win.
“All these guys, they’re preparing for one guy, and that’s me, at the top of the mountain, and I had to make a mental shift,” Usman said after the fight.
“Masvidal is tough, and he showed it out there.”