UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman fired back at rumours of his injury and that he was avoiding a potential match-up with BMF belt winner Jorge Masvidal. The 32-year-old Usman (professional MMA record 16-1), who successfully defended his title against Colby Covington in the UFC’s last event of 2019, insists it is the 35-year-old Masvidal (35-13) who is the one running scared. “For all you real fans out there that know whats up, Jorge Masvidal is doing everything possible to avoid taking this L. Dana White has spoken so [expletive] and take this a** whooping like the journeyman you are and then you can go fight Conor #Onceabumalwaysabum”, Usman tweeted. Cuban-American Masvidal has been outspoken about deciding between taking a fight with cash-cow McGregor and belt-holding Usman. Although he was cage-side to watch McGregor’s impressive win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, Masvidal soon turned his attention towards Nigerian-American Usman. For all you real fans out there that know what’s up @GamebredFighter is doing everything possible to avoid taking this L @danawhite has spoken so STFU and take this ass whooping like the journeyman you are and then you can go fight Conor #OnceaBumalwaysaBum — KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) January 20, 2020 “I would take a lot more pleasure in dismantling Usman’s face than I would Conor’s,” said Masvidal on ESPN’s Ariel Helwani Show. I would have a sincere joy inside of me, like a kid at Christmas opening numerous gifts if Usman was the guy I got to baptise. “There’s something about his face and attitude that doesn’t sit well with me … I’m the fighter of the year and I’m at your [expletive] weight class, and you’re gonna be as corny as a petty-a** troll … the dude’s got 17 different personalities but not one of them is made for TV. “I’m gonna [expletive] his a** up. If he doesn’t want it, he doesn’t want it. I’m gonna make this abundantly clear whenever anyone asks me about this coward … he sounds like one hell of a politician – and I don’t like politicians. Except Mr Trump, he’s pretty cool,” Masvidal added. Usman, Africa’s first UFC champion, soon posted a photo of himself to Twitter with the caption, “The face I make when I hear them say [they’re] gonna break someone’s face. We all know who breaks faces in this division. And that’s “on god”. #AfricanPower”. The face I make when I hear them say their gonna break someone’s face We all know who breaks faces in this division. And That’s “ON GOD” #AfricanPower pic.twitter.com/fmRSKD3pZ2 — KAMARU USMAN (@USMAN84kg) January 22, 2020 Usman also tweeted a more cryptic message to do with injury rumours following his five-round slugfest with Covington. “Who’s out indefinitely?” he asked. While UFC president Dana White has already squashed rumours of Masvidal vs McGregor, he is open to a welterweight title shot between Usman and Masvidal. He has not commented on who is allegedly avoiding the fight.