Shaquille O'Neal predicts who will win Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal 2 at UFC 261

Retired basketball player Shaquille O'Neal believes UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman has the work ethic and mindset to defeat Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261 on April 24.

During an interview with UFC President Dana White and Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Shaq aired his observations of Kamaru Usman as a fighter. Shaq said he sees similarities between Kamaru Usman and the NBA greats in their ability to put on great performances in high-pressure situations. However, O'Neal also admitted that he is not acquainted with Kamaru Usman's opponent Jorge Masvidal's skills.

I like Usman. I like how he just stayed on the Radar. He is a consummate professional. You don't really see him talk a lot of trash. He's always in great shape. He always puts on a good performance for you. (He) reminds me of a great NBA player who knows and understands that hey, in this thing of ours, I gotta go and perform so fans like it, so dana and all the persons like it and it will be a great show. I'm gonna go with Usman on that one, 'cause I don't really know the other guy," Shaquille O'Neal said.

Kamaru Usman (18-1 MMA, 13-0 UFC) is slated to attempt the fourth successful defense of his welterweight title against No. 4 ranked Jorge Masvidal (35-14 MMA, 12-7 UFC) at UFC 261. The fight is a rematch of their first showdown in 2020 that Usman won via unanimous decision.

Kamaru Usman has since defeated No. 2 ranked Gilbert Burns by a third-round TKO while Masvidal will enter the rematch on the back of his loss to the champion. The booking is a controversial offering for this very reason. But Jorge Masvidal is one of the biggest pay-per-view stars on the UFC roster right now. Kamaru Usman stands to gain a lot of popularity if he defeats 'Gamebred' in spectacular fashion in the rematch.

Kamaru Usman has a series of rematches lined up for him

Kamaru Usman is riding a 13-fight winning streak during his undefeated run in the UFC. The Nigerian nightmare has defeated every fighter in the top four of the UFC's welterweight division before and during his title reign.

Despite having made significant improvements to his game, Jorge Masvidal has struggled to defeat the ultra-specialists of grappling and striking disciplines. His most recent losses to Stephen Thompson, Demian Maia and Kamaru Usman are testimony to that. Although the first fight with Jorge Masvidal took place on short notice and left many things to speculation, Usman is most likely so secure the win in the rematch.

Usman's former opponents Colby Covington, Leon Edwards and even Gilbert Burns are one win away from securing a shot at his title. Kamaru Usman's dominant wrestling, coupled with his much-improved striking game, made all of the top contenders vulnerable to one or more aspects of his game. Unless a fresh contender emerges in the welterweight division, Kamaru Usman is likely to be engaged in rematches for his next few title defenses.