As a contestant, Jorge Masvidal was not excited at Saturday’s UFC 261 pay-per-view event being dropped by a vicious Kamaru Usman Punch. But as an MMA fan, he could certainly appreciate the skills he took to execute the sharp strike.
Less than 48 hours after his loss, Masvidal told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani He was a “fan” of Usman’s strike. The “Nigerian Nightmare” earned a knockout victory in the second round of their welterweight championship bout after capturing Masvidal with absolutely perfect timing, becoming the first fighter to defeat Masvidal through KO.
MORE: Full results, highlights from UFC 261 card
“I see it, and I’m like, ‘Wow, right time, deceptive.’ I felt he was going for a shot, and by the time I realized it wasn’t a shot, it was too late, “Masvidil said.” I was throwing my check left hook, but already It was too late. I misread the information. So they sold it to me beautifully, and that’s why they got these results.
“Gosh.” At that moment, I am a fan. Because I love sports so much. This is just beautiful technique. “
Masvidil, who lost by unanimous decision in his first meeting against Usman at UFC 251, told Helwani that Osman had a healthy respect for his punching power. The problem was that Masvidal anticipated more wrestling exchanges, and when he let his guard down, Osman capitalized.
“I just love violence. This is why I like this game so much. “I just love the beautiful math and science that produces that violence. And I could have sworn at that moment, my initial read was, ‘He’s going for a shot.’ Nope, he changed it. It was a straight hand. That’s why we all love this game.
“It is very captivating. it is amazing. Anything can happen at any moment. “
You can watch Helwani’s full interview with Masvidal below.
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