The name on the contract didn’t matter much to Kamaru Usman as he prepared to fight at UFC 251.
While he spent weeks getting ready to face former teammate Gilbert Burns on July 11, the UFC’s reigning welterweight champion didn’t care all that much at all that he’s now facing a different opponent in Jorge Masvidal.
In reality, Usman had been calling for Masvidal for months and he even attempted to book the fight on short notice back in April when a new main event was needed for UFC 249.