UFC 251 has a main event that fans have been talking about since December of 2019. It was a wild and crazy ride on how we got to this point. After Kamaru Usman (16-1) defeated Colby Covington in December, everyone started talking about Usman fighting Jorge Masvidal (35-13). The fire began to burn hotter after public run-ins and verbal back and forths. However, the fight was not easily made.
A worldwide pandemic has put a chokehold on sports. There was no NCAA tournament, the NBA suspended it’s season, the UFC didn’t hold fights, and baseball still hasn’t played an inning. However, in early May the UFC re-opened for business with no fans in the stands. No fans means no live gate which is a big revenue source for the UFC.
While all of this is going on, the UFC was still negotiating to make the title fight between Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman. Dana White had come out publicly and stated that the plan was for the two of them to fight in July. There was no word on if the negotiations were going bad, but a single Masvidal tweet was the first big red flag.
If I’m not worth it let me go @espn
— Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) June 5, 2020
This tweet was a signal that there were major issues with the UFC and the BMF. Masvidal continued to tweet more and more about revenue sharing and his lack of a deal. In the end, the UFC bumped Masvidal in-favor of the cheaper option, Gilbert Burns. However, when Burns tested positive for COVID-19, the UFC came back to Masvidal.
Who gave in between Masvidal & the UFC?
A question on everyone’s mind was, “Who caved?” in thinking about the negotiations. Did Masvidal just go along with it or did the UFC come back to the table with a big offer that Masvidal couldn’t turn down? Jorge Masvidal was interviewed by ESPN’s Ariel Helwani where he went more in depth.
“I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, but I got very very close so I’m taking the fight. I’m happy because I get to break this guy’s face and get paid for it.” Masvidal told Helwani.
It’s very apparent that the UFC came back to Masvidal with a big offer that was acceptable. Masvidal went on to explain to Helwani that he was not happy with the original cut of the PPV he was scheduled to get. You can view his full interview below.
Now after all this drama, fight fans get the fight that they’ve wanted from the very beginning. One of the sports biggest draws is getting his first title shot after 48 professional fights. It’s the matchup the world wanted to see and it’s the matchup we get to see on the UFC‘s first card on Fight Island.