UFC 261 was full of some shocking moments. But, Kamaru Usman knocking out Jorge Masvidal certainly stands out. Nobody expected Kamaru Usman to win by a knockout against Jorge Masvidal who has never been knocked out in the last 18 years.
Jorge Masvidal was not the better fighter last night. But, his chin was believed to be one of the best in the sports. But, Usman shocked the whole world when he knocked out Masvidal with a vicious right hand. He also landed a few more follow-up strikes though Masvidal was out as soon as he hit the mat.
It certainly reminded the fans about the Ben Askren vs Jorge Masvidal fight that took place in 2019. Masvidal knocked out Ben Askren and landed a couple of “super necessary” punches before the referee pulled him off.
Read More: Leon Edwards trolls Masvidal following UFC 261
Ben Askren’s response to Jorge Masvidal vs Kamaru Usman
Ben Askren was one or maybe two fights away from a potential title shot at the UFC welterweight division before he fought Jorge Masvidal. The rivalry between them was personal and heated. And Masvidal destroyed the later part of Ben Askren’s MMA career with that 5-second knockout.
Ben Askren would also go on to lose to Damian Maia and later on to Jake Paul. But, the KO loss to Masvidal is still fresh in the MMA world. Jorge Masvidal has trolled Ben Askren numerous times about that knockout. He even ridiculed Askren before his fight with Jake Paul.
However, Ben Askren showed absolute class after Masvidal’s first KO loss. Reacting to Kamaru Usman knocking out Masvidal at UFC 261, Askren said:
“I don’t believe in Karma. If you fight long enough s**t happens.”
Read More: Jorge Masvidal issues statement after his first KO loss
It’s difficult to say what’s next for Masvidal after the loss to Kamaru Usman. It’s very unlikely that he would fight for the welterweight title again. The BMF gimmick has also lost its significance after the KO loss. But, there are some fun matchups for Masvidal in the division. If Colby Covington loses to Usman in his next fight then it’s very likely that UFC will make the fight between Covington and Usman in the future.
