Jorge Masvidal reveals deal was on the table to face Kamaru Usman at UFC 249

Before the cancellation of UFC 249, Jorge Masvidal says a fight with Kamaru Usman almost came to fruition.

Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) has cemented himself as the No. 1 contender at 170 pounds with three stoppage wins in 2019, and a fight with UFC welterweight champion Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) has been in the works ever since.

Speaking to BT Sport, Masvidal revealed that a deal was on the table for the two to compete at UFC 249, but ultimately he wasn’t satisfied with the offer.

“There was a deal on the table, but when the full deal and the whole extent of it got brought through and how it was going to play out, the budget really wasn’t there in a way for what we were asking,” Masvidal said. “The price tag that I put out there, they didn’t wanna pay. This other guy, who knows if he was in or not, but my price wasn’t met. And for the risk-to-reward factor, I wanted to get compensated and the compensation wasn’t really there.”

But Masvidal is confident the fight still happens, most likely in summer.

“We weren’t too far off either, we can make it work in the future for a fact,” Masvidal said. “I think in July, I’ll be beheading this guy for the whole world to see.”

Usman notched his first successful title defense last December with a finish over Masvidal’s former friend and training partner, Colby Covington, in an all-out stand-up war. The back-and-forth battle was dubbed by many as one of the best fights of the year, but Masvidal isn’t too threatened with what Usman has to offer.

“He’s a boring-ass dude,” Masvidal said. “If I’m speaking from a straight tactical point, he’s not going to want to strike, and he doesn’t really fully commit to wrestling either. All he fully commits to is stalling. Just being a (expletive) stall machine. For the first time, he didn’t stall with this guy (Covington), and it was a (expletive) kickboxing match, and the world gave him all types of praise for it because he wasn’t his usual, boring self, and he actually threw some fists.

“But we all know he’s not gonna throw fists when it comes to me, he’s gonna try to act like he’s gonna throw fists and then he’s gonna go for the takedown, and he’s going to quickly find out I’ll never get held down by that guy. I won’t get out-grappled by that guy. I’ll put my life on it, I’ll put my money on it. I’m in the firm belief system that I’m a better fighter than him and I’m going to prove it in July.”