Jorge Masvidal is eyeing a return to action in the second half of 2021 — and he’s already plotting out his climb back up the UFC’s welterweight ranks.
“Whoever’s in the top five available November or October, that’s who’s head I’m coming after,” Masvidal told reporters (via The MacLife) ahead of the debut of his bare-knuckle MMA promotion Gamebred Fighting Championship, which takes place Friday at the Biloxi Community Center in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Masivdal (35-15) lost back-to-back title bouts in his last two fights. Following a career-changing run of knockouts over Darren Till, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz in 2019, “Gamebred” rode a surge of popularity into a last-second matchup against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 251, which Masvidal lost via unanimous decision. In the rematch at UFC 261, Usman finished Masvidal via highlight-reel second-round knockout.
Still, the 36-year-old veteran remains one of the most popular fighters in the world at 170 pounds, and there is plenty of history between him and many of the best fighters in the division. One of those fighters is Leon Edwards, the UFC’s No. 3-ranked welterweight who Masvidal infamously attacked backstage in the “three-piece with a soda” incident at UFC on ESPN+ 5 in 2019. Edwards has called for a chance at revenge against Masvidal ever since.
tea
Gamebred eye is return?
phunny
he said Usman wasnt a fighter either…then got slept
Career journeyman, lost four of his last seven, and of his 3 “big” wins one was a fluke KO, one was a fluke cut-stoppage and one was over a guy who spends more time drunk tweeting than fighting and has lost 3 of 4, yet Horhay still talks like he’s having a GSP, Khabib, Izzy type career.
He’s 100% correct. Edwards is an athlete, not a fighter.