A day after Gilbert Burns was displaced of the UFC 251 main occasion, there is restored hope that next weeks welterweight title fight can be saved with an even larger fight.
According to numerous sources, there are active settlements to book Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal as the new centerpiece of UFC 251 on July 11.
Sources stated the talks arent close to being finalized yet, however they are continuous and both sides think there is a path to making this fight take place.
1 RelatedThis is substantial due to the fact that the UFC and Masvidal were far apart on agreement talks for this defend the previous two months. In the end, the UFC decided to leave negotiations about a month earlier and offered the title battle to Burns, who recently beat former champion Tyron Woodley.
Afterward, Masvidal published a series of tweets slamming the UFC for its service practices, calling into concern whether the relationship would be severed for a long time.
Once Burns was forced off the card late Friday night, momentum started to develop for the original strategy, which is a grudge match that has actually been months in the making. Usman and Masvidal have actually been involved in a heated feud that saw the duo enter into a screaming match at the Super Bowl in Miami previously this year.
On Saturday afternoon, Usman tweeted, “Might be time for the pig to squeal,” while Masvidals co-manager published a series of Instagram stories revealing Masvidal on the phone, with the caption “negotiating.”.
Obviously, these days its not as easy as simply accepting a battle amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Saturday, Masvidal took and passed a coronavirus antibody test. That test shows whether an individual has actually been exposed to COVID-19 in the past however does not figure out whether someone currently has the infection. If the battle ultimately gets signed, he will have to pass at least 3 coronavirus tests prior to fight night, as will all the fighters competing in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this month.
The UFCs charter flight to Abu Dhabi left Friday night, so the promotion will also have to determine how to get both Masvidal and Usman, who did not fly when Burns took out, to the UAE in time for the occasion and with the ability to pass the federal governments coronavirus screening procedure in place.
Masvidal is thought about among the most popular fighters in the sport, with many thinking he was the 2019 fighter of the year after picking up outstanding wins over Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nathan Diaz.
If the 2 sides cant come to terms on a deal, UFC 251 would continue with 2 title fights: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway 2 for the featherweight title and Petr Yan vs. Jose Aldo for the bantamweight title.
On Saturday, Masvidal took and passed a coronavirus antibody test. That test shows whether a person has been exposed to COVID-19 in the past but does not determine whether somebody currently has the virus. If the fight eventually gets signed, he will have to pass at least three coronavirus tests before battle night, as will all the fighters competing in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, this month.
