UPDATE: According to Ariel Helwani of ESPN, the fight is a done deal, and the two will face off on July 11th for the Welterweight title.
Over the last year or so, Jorge Masvidal has become one of the most exciting fighters in the entire UFC. After breaking the record for the quickest knockout, against Ben Askren, Masvidal went on to defeat Nate Diaz for the BMF title belt. The Welterweight fighter has since expressed interest in a title fight against reigning champ Kamaru Usman, however, the UFC has been disinterested with Masvidal's asking price. In fact, UFC 251 is taking place next weekend and Usman was supposed to defend his title against Gilbert Burns. Well, Burns was forced to drop out of the fight and now, Masvidal's name is back in the mix.
According to ESPN, immediately following Burns' withdrawal, the UFC began negotiating with Masvidal to see if he could save the fight. Masvidal is ultimately a much bigger draw than Usman, and this is the fight UFC fans wanted from the start. In the report, it states negotiations aren't close to being concluded, however, there is a real chance a deal could be struck in time for the fight.
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Rumors have started circulating that both Masvidal and Usman are already on their way to Las Vegas, although this has yet to be confirmed. Regardless, UFC fans should be very excited about the news we've just laid out, as it could potentially lead to one of the best fights of the year.
If this were to happen, which fighter are you taking?
[Via]