Kamaru Usman Admits Pre-Fight Nerves, Worry To Jorge Masvidal: ‘Is He Gonna Baptize Me?’

Former undisputed welterweight kingpin, Kamaru Usman has admitted to Jorge Masvidal that prior to their two-fight series, he was legitimately wary of suffering a hellish knockout loss – or as the latter put it, a “baptizm”. 

Usman, a former undisputed welterweight champion and prior pound-for-pound number one fighter under the banner of the UFC, has been sidelined since last October, succumbing to a third straight defeat in a controversial decision loss against the unbeaten, Khamzat Chimaev.

However, twice sharing the Octagon with inaugural BMF title winner, Masvidal between 2020 and 2021, Usman twice defeated the Miami veteran – the second of which in a devastating second round one-punch KO victory in ‘The Sunshine State’. 

Kamaru Usman admits to Jorge Masvidal he was worried to fight him

And in a recent sitdown podcast, Usman admitted to Masvidal that he most feared to share the Octagon with him during his tenure with the UFC – claiming he was worried about suffering a “baptizm” in the form of a brutal knockout loss.

“I’m trying to picture all this, but I’m seeing this every day,” Kamaru Usman told Jorge Masvidal on the Pound-4-Pound podcast. “They’re [the media] asking me in every interview, how are you gonna deal with this? I’m watching your interviews and you’re saying, ‘I’m gonna baptize this guy.’”

“I’m like, ‘Oh sh*t, is he gonna baptize me? What the f*ck is this?’” Kamaru Usman explained. I’m in a hotel, and I’m super nervous for this, especially that moment before you go to the arena for the fight, and I’m in a room just like, ‘Why the f*ck am i so nervous right now? Get it together.’” 

As for former UFC star, Masvidal, the veteran striker is slated to make his return to combat sports next month in Las Vegas – taking on fellow promotional veteran, Nate Diaz in a professional boxing match, rematching following their 2019 mixed martial arts fight at Madison Square Garden.

What are your thoughts on Kamaru Usman’s talk with Jorge Masvidal?