Jorge Masvidal Will Give Kamaru Usman Trilogy Fight Rematch If He Wins at UFC 261

Jorge Masvidal said Thursday he's prepared to give welterweight champion Kamaru Usman an immediate rematch if he wins the belt Saturday night at UFC 261.

Usman defeated Masvidal in July and has agreed to give him another shot at the title, and the challenger confirmed he'll return the favor, per Danny Segura and Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie.

"Definitely, [I'll give him a rematch if I win]," Masvidal said. "He gave me a chance. Whether we see eye-to-eye on things or not, he gave me another chance to compete, so I'll definitely give him another chance to compete again."

UFC president Dana White wouldn't commit to a trilogy fight ahead of Saturday's clash.

"I don't know. We have to see how the fight plays out," White told MMA Junkie. "A lot of things factor in on if a fight gets made—injuries and personal things. So I don't know. We'll see how Saturday plays out."

Usman won the first meeting at UFC 251 by unanimous decision to defend the welterweight championship, but Masvidal took that title shot on short notice to replace Gilbert Burns.

This time, the 36-year-old Miami native was able to have a normal training camp to prepare for another chance to dethrone the champ. Most importantly, he's confident he'll be more ready from an endurance standpoint.

"I just know that he knows that I'm going to have gas for five rounds, and he's going to have to put up with that f--king insane pace of me trying to just end him from start to finish," Masvidal told ESPN.

Usman, who owns an 18-1 career record and is riding a 16-fight winning streak that dates to 2013, took a shot at Masvidal (35-14) on Thursday.

"Let's just be honest here," Usman said. "You've got 14 losses in your career, seven in the UFC. You're 3-3 in your last six. You are sitting there today because I chose you."

It's been an intense buildup to their rematch with neither fighter shying away from some verbal jabs.

Usman, who defeated Burns by third-round knockout in February for his most recent win, has looked borderline unstoppable since capturing the title in 2019, so Masvidal faces an uphill battle Saturday night.

There's no doubt a trilogy fight following a potential upset would generate massive hype, though.