Jorge Masvidal’s Manager Accuses Kamaru Usman of Lying About UFC 249 Fight

As the UFC reportedly scrambles to find a new main event for UFC 249, Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal’s manager have shared out very different accounts of who’s down to fight at the April 18th card.

Masvidal’s manager accuses Usman of lying

As you likely know, Dana White continues to insist that the UFC will find a way to host the April 18th, UFC 249 card, despite all the restrictions that have been enacted to battle the coronavirus (and despite concerns that in doing so, the promotion could help spread the virus). 

More recently, however, the UFC has been presented with a huge hurdle for the main event bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. Nurmagomedov returned to Russia not long ago, but now the nation has enacted a travel ban, and the lightweight champ may not be able to attend UFC 249, no matter where its held.

Well, recently Usman claimed on an Instagram Live session that he is willing to battle Masvidal at the upcoming event, but that “Gamebred” turned down the bout (quotes via MMA Junkie).

“Last Tuesday I knew that Khabib was out of the country,” Usman said on Instagram Live. “I texted Dana directly. I said, ‘Dana, I understand situations are going on. But guess what? I haven’t really been training like that, but I’m willing to come in and I’m willing to save that event.’ I’m willing to save it because at home people don’t have anything to watch. They need some entertainment. People want to see this fight. People want to see me and fake-ass journeyman Masvidal. People want to see the fight? Let’s do it.”

“It’s not going to happen to be honest,” Usman said. “He has turned down the fight. He has turned it down. He said, ‘No, I’m not ready to fight. I’ve been smoking and drinking and I’m fat and I’m not ready to take the fight.’ That’s what he said. He’s been drinking that liquor that no one can pronounce the name of.”

Masvidal’s manager fires back

But, according Masvidal’s manager, Abraham Kawa, his client is more than willing to throw down. During his own, Instagram Live chat, Kawa reportedly said this (quote via MMA Junkie.com).

“I just want everybody to understand one thing: If there’s one thing you know about Jorge, he doesn’t have to lie,” Kawa said. “He has no reason for him to lie. He’s got no issues. We have accepted the Usman fight twice now. Two times. Once for NYC (at UFC 244) – and we all know how that ended up. Usman said no. He didn’t want to make that fight happen. He wanted I don’t know what. (He had) some injury or no injury. I don’t know, man. It’s weird with him and his stuff.

“Now, we accepted again and he’s saying we turned it down. That’s a damn lie. We got the phone call. We were asked. We knew this was coming. We said, ‘Absolutely. Let’s go.’ We knew how this was going to go. Did we think Usman would take the fight? Well, let’s see. He didn’t take it on seven weeks’ notice last time. What makes any of you guys think he’s going to take it on two weeks’ notice this time? It wasn’t going to happen. You guys can say what you want. I know, on our end, we accepted. Whatever happened after that, I can’t tell you, man. I just know this is two times we’ve said yes to Usman and two times we don’t have an answer.”

So, ya. Guess we’ll see whether this fight materializes. But, when you consider tomorrow’s April 1st, a much larger question, whether UFC 249 will happen at all. remains.