“I think now is the time, I think International Fight Week is the date, let’s get McGregor-Masvidal done once and for all.”
The dust has settled from UFC 272, and Chael Sonnen has the perfect fight to make for Jorge Masvidal following ‘Gamebred’s’ lopsided decision defeat to Colby Covington on Saturday.
Speaking on The Chael Sonnen Show (h/t MMA Mania), the self-proclaimed ‘American Gangster’ explained why he thinks Conor McGregor is the perfect opponent for Masvidal now that ‘The Notorious’ walks around at 194 pounds.
“People are just forgetting, they’re taking Dana [White] at his word when he said he’d never make the fight,” Sonnen said. “Well, that was because he (Masvidal) was too big.”
Conor McGregor vs Jorge Masvidal. pic.twitter.com/g4sLCGNR3Q
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) March 9, 2022
“Conor’s a ‘55-pounder, Conor’s now up at ‘70 and he’s showing pictures on Instagram that he weighs 194,” he continued. “I think now is the time, I think International Fight Week is the date, let’s get McGregor-Masvidal done once and for all.”
Given both men’s current circumstances, McGregor-Masvidal isn’t a bad matchup to make. On paper.
Both fighters are strikers. Both are wildly entertaining. And both are looking for redemption following crushing defeats to Covington and Poirier. Masvidal hasn’t won a fight since 2019 when he battered Nate Diaz to win the UFC BMF title. McGregor, on the other hand, hasn’t tasted victory in the Octagon since his 2020 TKO victory over Donald Cerrone.
McGregor, who is currently injured, is expected to return to the Octagon in July and Masvidal will likely be out of action for the next couple of months to process, and recover from, his loss to Covington. So, all things considered, the UFC should at least consider the matchup if not book it outright as Sonnen suggested.