Jorge Masvidal may once have expressed serious interest in fighting former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor, but no longer.
In an interview with MMAJunkie.com, Masvidal was unimpressed with Conor McGregor’s persona of late. “Gamebred” took particular issue with Conor’s stature, both physically and emotionally.
Masvidal No Longer Interested in Fighting “Small, Fragile Dude” Conor McGregor
“I’m full man size. He’s like a very small, fragile dude. He don’t want that. You can’t pay that man enough money, so that one’s OK. Don’t need it.”
Masvidal, like McGregor, is on a two-fight losing streak. Like McGregor, he lost both fights to the same opponent – Dustin Poirier in Conor’s case, and Kamaru Usman in Masvidal’s.
Kamaru Usman, reigning champion of the welterweight division, handed Jorge Masvidal his first career knockout earlier this year. Jorge Masvidal may hold the “BMF” belt, but the welterweight title continue to elude him.
What does he want next? “The guy that gets me the closest and the fastest to the title bout,” Masvidal said.
As for who exactly that is, nobody’s quite sure. Jorge has scheduled a meeting with the UFC’s brass to determine what his next move is.
“That’s what I’m going to find out in two weeks. Whoever the UFC’s like, ‘Man, this guy gets you quicker than anybody else and blah, blah, blah,’ that’s it. That’s what I have to take.”Masvidal is one of the bigger draws in the UFC, thanks largely to his knockout power and brash persona. He maintains a potent personal rivalry with fellow title contender Colby Covington, who will fight Kamaru Usman for the welterweight title at UFC 268 in November.
Conor McGregor, despite his recent losses, remains the UFC’s biggest draw. He’s still the sport’s only mainstream superstar. Although McGregor’s star has waned in recent years due to inactivity, he continues to court headlines and pay-per-view buys whenever he steps into the Octagon. Masvidal’s disinterest in Conor is relatively new. Last year, Jorge was very interested in McGregor, stating that “If me and Conor go in the octagon, what happens? It’s one of the biggest fights in history”.
Conor McGregor’s broken leg, sustained in his third fight against Dustin Poirier, will keep him out of action for at least the rest of the year. However, if McGregor decides to return to competition, he may well be a better matchup for Masvidal than Jorge realises. McGregor is almost certainly finished at lightweight, but he has fought comfortably at 170lbs before.
With both men on losing streaks, a money fight to mark McGregor’s return to welterweight, and the UFC, may well be on the cards, particularly considering Conor’s repeated jabs at current champ Kamaru Usman.
Would you want to see McGregor vs Masvidal in future? Let us know in the comments.
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