Usman stayed perfect in the UFC and outworked Masvidal, who took the match on short notice after original title challenger Gilbert Burns had to withdraw when he tested positive for COVID-19.
Usman stayed perfect in the UFC and outworked Masvidal for a unanimous decision Saturday. Usman took a pair of 50-45 scores and a 49-46 on the judges’ cards thanks in large part to his control in the final four rounds – though Masvidal defended more takedowns than he fell victim to. In all, Usman landed five takedowns and had more than 10 minutes of control time in the 25-minute fight.
“‘Gamebred’ is the biggest, baddest dude out there right now, and I had to switch gears and prepare for him on six days’ notice,” Usman said. “I had to make a mental shift. I trained for Gilbert. I had a completely different game plan. … ‘Gamebred’ is tough, and he showed it out there. He took a lot of big elbows, and he didn’t quit.”
Usman worked for a takedown straight away in the second, but Masvidal defended two solid attempts. A solid elbow two minutes in was followed up by a right-left combination. When they tied up again, Usman tried shoulder strikes to the chin in the clinch and he kept Masvidal’s back to the cage. Usman worked punches to the body, as well. Masvidal broke free with 30 seconds left and mounted some offense, but not enough to turn the tide. It wasn’t a sexy round for Usman, but it was effective.
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