Jorge Masvidal’s team is here to let the combat sports world know that “Gamebred” is not ducking anyone. The welterweight contender just hasn’t been able to meet with UFC about his next fight.
Masvidal is entering a very important time in his UFC career. The 36-year-old veteran is coming off back-to-back losses to current UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and his last outing ended in a devastating knockout. Masvidal’s recent lack of success inside of the Octagon has slightly slowed his combat ascension, but there’s still time for “Gamebred” to right the ship.
That said, there are a collection of killers at 170 pounds waiting for Masvidal to sign the dotted line and get back to action. Whether it’s Leon Edwards, Vicente Luque, Gilbert Burns, or a even rematch with Nate Diaz, Masvidal has many options at his disposal. His team just has to sit down with UFC to iron out the details and see what makes the most sense.
“We’re just trying to see what the next steps are,” Masvidal’s manager, Malki Kawa of First Round Management, told MMA Junkie. “There’s so many options there. We just got to get out to Vegas and meet with the UFC, and we are planning on doing that after (Paul vs. Woodley fight week). Hopefully in the next two weeks we can get out there and see what’s going on with him.”
Prior to the Usman losses Masvidal was riding an all-time high. He had knocked off Darren Till, Ben Askren, and Diaz in succession and ended up capturing the “BMF” title in Nov. 2019 as a result. Some fighters have suggested that Masvidal is avoiding certain names in the welterweight division, but given his track record for taking on all challengers it’s likely just hearsay.
“We’re looking for the fight that makes the most sense to get his way back to a title,” Kawa said. “All this, ‘Oh he ducked this guy and ducked that guy.’ Masvidal’s not ducking anyone.”
Who do you think Masvidal will fight next? Let us know in the comments below!
