However fanciful your story is, it means nothing to Kamaru Usman once that cage door closes.
Call him “methodical.” Call him “boring.” Call him “The Ultimate Buzzkill.” At the end of the day, the UFC’s reigning welterweight champion will take any narrative that’s been driven into the ground and make sure that it’s buried six feet deep by the time he’s done with his challengers.
Jorge Masvidal—and accordingly, anyone expecting Masvidal to bestow one of his infamous baptisms upon Usman—was the latest to face this reality. Heading into Saturday’s UFC 251 main event, his 17-year journey (or six-day journey, depending when you want to start counting) was rife with intrigue.