Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman continue to point the finger at each other, as to why a fight between the two has yet to be finalized.
So, will we see the rivals fight anytime soon? Or are bouts with Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor on the horizon?
Masvidal claims Usman’s asking for too much money
For the better part of 2020, the expectation has been that Masvidal would challenge the welterweight champ next. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that Dana White said the UFC was hoping to book Usman – Masvidal for its summer schedule.
Well, with summer upon us, and the UFC up-and-running again, that fight has yet to be signed. Recently Usman claimed that Masvidal’s call for a rematch with Diaz, is because he’s looking for an easier, big money fight.
But, according to Masvidal, it’s Usman’s financial demands that are holding up the show. While talking to Ariel Helwani more recently, “Gamebred” said this (quotes via MMA Junkie).
“Kamaru has asked for an insane amount of money,” Masvidal said. “He had one of the worst pay-per-view cards of 2019. I had the best – just by numbers.
This is not an opinion. I had the most sold pay-per-views of 2019. So he thinks he’s hit the jackpot and he’s asking crazy money from the UFC. The UFC has told him, ‘No,’ on several occasions.”
So, without having insights into the negotiations, it’s hard to say what’s going on behind the scenes. But, one thing does seem clear, both men seem pretty keen to fight each other, in terms of what they’re saying publicly.
So what about Masvidal – Diaz II?
During the aforementioned interview, Masvidal noted that he believes his title shot will be there in the future. So, since he wants to fight, and because Usman is allegedly asking for too much money, he’s looking at Diaz.
So, when asked about the possibility of Masvidal – Diaz II happening, “Gamebred” said this.
“I don’t know,” Masvidal said. “To tell you the truth and be honest with you, I don’t think Nate has a problem with going at all. I think Nate is ready to go and he’s willing to go.
Usman is asking for – you know people in the UFC. Go find out how much money he’s asking for. He’s asking for an absurd amount of money – an absurd amount of money.
“The UFC has said, ‘(Expletive) that. Who are you, man?’ How could you ask for this amount of money guaranteed when you’re not a draw?
You’re not a draw. You’re not a household name. Nobody knows you. Even the hardcores in this sport don’t care for you.
He doesn’t have a commanding force like, ‘Hey, I could bring 300,000 pay-per-views, blah, blah, blah.’ No, he doesn’t do that.”
The question is, however, is there enough buzz these days for Masvidal – Diaz II?
After Diaz lost the first fight via doctor stoppage, White didn’t seem too interested in a rematch. While a lot of hardcore fans would like to see it, in recent months there hasn’t been much talk about the two running it back.
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