“Jorge Was Still in the Gym Everyday”-Dustin Poirier Opens Up on Jorge Masvidal vs Kamaru Usman

Dustin Poirier has come out to say Jorge Masvidal has been in training this entire time and will be in shape to take on Kamaru Usman at UFC 251.

Originally the match-up between Jorge Masvidal and Kamaru Usman was the one set to headline the event. As negotiations got serious, the UFC and Masvidal’s team were unable to reach an agreement. Friction arose mainly due to the payout Masvidal would receive, leading to the eventual failure of this matchup.

So, to replace Masvidal and take on Usman stepped in Gilbert Burns. The fight was booked, and the stage was set. But just before it was time for Burns to board the flight to the island, he faced a major roadblock. He tested positive for COVID-19. Burns was forced out of the match and the event was left hanging.

Once again Usman was left without an opponent and the fight was on the verge of cancellation. But Jorge Masvidal stepped in as the saving grace. He agreed to fight Kamaru Usman in place of Burns. But why did he accept this fight on such short notice?

Walking into this fight, the odds don’t seem to be in Masvidal’s favor. He has less than a week’s worth of training and is for sure going to be regarded as the underdog here. But Dustin Poirier thinks otherwise.

Dustin Poirier says Jorge Masvidal is in great condition to fight

Poirier said that Masvidal isn’t just getting off the couch and walking into the octagon. He has been training for this fight all along. He has been in the gym, training for Usman in particular, and is well prepared for this bout.

Speaking on the Teddy Atlas podcast about Masvidal’s training camp, Poirier said, “It’s short notice (fight) because he didn’t have the contract signed. But let me tell you what. This guy was there my whole training camp (for Dan Hooker), he was my main sparring partner. We probably put in five weeks of sparring together.

“He flew in wrestlers, the best wrestlers in the world, I think they put them up just for Masvidal to use. Even when the fight fell through and they gave it to Burns, I think it was at the end of my training camp, Jorge was still in the gym every day like he had a fight.”

He also added, “I don’t know if he knew something we didn’t, but the guy was in training camp the whole time and never stopped. I think he’s going to surprise a lot of people with the shape he’s in, his timing’s going to be good because he was in my camp the whole time. Helping a few guys, not just me. He’s in fight shape, I know that much. This isn’t a guy who’s coming off the couch. This is a guy who was preparing to fight Usman, and the fight fell through and he kept training.”

Do you think Dustin Poirier is right? Is Masvidal more prepared than he is leading us on to believe?