We can start by accepting that yes, stranger things have happened in MMA. The UFC has pulled enough rabbits out of its hat over the years so that if it really wants to accomplish something, there are few things that stand in the way of this happening.
Under normal circumstances, finding a replacement opponent to challenge Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title seven days in advance would be a difficult but possible feat. As MMA Junkie first reported, Gilbert Burns’ positive COVID-19 test caused him to be removed from the event for a week and left Usman without a challenger.
However, as we all know, these are far from normal circumstances. Jorge Masvidal and Colby Covington’s offers to fight Usman in the short term are good for headlines, social media charts, and for fans to show deeper support for their badassery, but it’s also very unrealistic and would be almost impossible to achieve.
First off, keep in mind that Usman didn’t even get on the plane to Abu Dhabi that left Las Vegas on Friday night. Given the amount of travel time involved and the mandatory quarantine procedures in place amid the coronavirus pandemic, with athletes and teams needing to be locked up for 48 hours on each side of the journey, that essentially determines that Usman is ineligible to fight. on July 11 at UFC 251.
However, let’s assume for a moment that the UFC could fix it. There is another charter plane to Abu Dhabi on Monday for fighters scheduled to compete in the UFC’s July 15 event, and perhaps the promotion could find a way to lure Usman without breaking protocols. If so, who are you fighting with?
Masvidal manager Abe Kawa of First Round Management told ESPN on Saturday that “BMF” champion is The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it too seriously, and neither should you. If you come to complain that something you read here is not headline news, wait for the sentence above to be repeated in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.
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