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Coming off the biggest year of his career and one of the biggest years for a UFC fighter in the history of the sport, Jorge Masvidal is currently in a state of limbo waiting to see what the next biggest fight is that he can make. Barring some kind of bizarro cross-sport match-up, that currently looks like it’s either Conor McGregor or welterweight champ Kamaru Usman.
In the past, Masvidal has sounded less than enthusiastic about facing Usman, but in a new interview with Submission Radio, “Street Jesus” made it clear that winning the 170 pound strap is what’s next if this McGregor possibility doesn’t pan out.
”Obviously I need money, I’ve been doing this 17 years,” Masvidal said. “I need the biggest paychecks possible, I need to secure my future. I can’t just leave a pigeon in the sky so if there’s money to get, obviously I need to secure that money. I’ve been in this sport a long time and it’s hard to get to where I’m at. In the next phase that I’m going to, I need to make sure I go even harder and beat the right guys that I have to beat. So whether it’s the owl dude [Kamaru Usman] or Conor, it doesn’t really matter to me because whoever it is, I’m going to baptize them.”
As for McGregor’s recent comments about his fight with Cerrone at 170 giving him options in the division, options that include a shot at the champ?
”It’s cute. You don’t do nothing at 170,” he said. “You have some sort of power at 155, you could skip I dunno who or what at 155, that’s cool. But at 170, that wouldn’t even be a conversation based on his record alone. He’s like 1-1 at 170. And on top of that you’d have to go through me to get a title shot. I dictate who gets the next title shot and when. And it’s that simple. If I’m fighting Conor, it can be someone else. If I’m not fighting Conor, I’m fighting right for this title. I’m having owl soup.”
Masvidal continues to be pretty casual about all this Conor talk because he still doesn’t believe McGregor actually wants to fight him.
“I don’t know if Conor wins [at UFC 246] it means that he fights me,” Masvidal said. “I really don’t know that. I don’t think so. From watching interviews, hearing … things. I don’t think so. I think buddy goes a different path. Maybe I’m just looking into the future, but I don’t think so. I think I’m gonna end up making owl soup at some point this year.”
”If buddy doesn’t want to scrap, that’s cool. Next. I’m not gonna linger on it if no one wants to dance with me. You don’t want to dance, that’s cool. Onto the next, buddy. Someone’s getting it.”