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Usman eyes Masvidal rematch, would 'try to get that finish standing'

Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

Kamaru Usman would welcome a rematch with Jorge Masvidal down the road, and the UFC welterweight champion believes he'd be able to make the necessary adjustments to finish "Gamebred" the second time around.

Usman defended his title against Masvidal in the UFC 251 main event Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Masvidal stepped up on less than a week's notice for the bout after Gilbert Burns fell off the card. "The Nigerian Nightmare" dominated the challenger with clinch work and takedowns, earning a lopsided unanimous decision win.

"I would like a lot more time to really strategically prepare for a guy like him, to really pick him apart better than I did tonight," Usman said at the postfight press conference, according to MMA Junkie. "But I had to do what I do best, and that's dominate a guy from start to finish.

"We both feel that we'll do it again," Usman continued. "And absolutely, I would like a lot more time to prepare for a guy like that and really be able to dominate in a way that I want to - picking my spots and try to get that finish standing."

Usman was smart to take a wrestling-heavy approach against Masvidal, a dynamic striker with a lot of knockout power. Saturday's headliner was the polar opposite to Usman's last bout against Colby Covington, a stand-up war and one of the best fights of 2019. Usman said he'll rely on his ground game when necessary, but admitted he needs to "showcase a lot more of what I have in the toolbox."

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