‘Jorge Fumbled The Bag Once Again’

Jorge Masvidal has retired from fighting, leaving an impressive legacy and some unfinished beef with Leon Edwards and Kevin Holland.

Jorge Masvidal spent over a decade toiling away in second-tier fight promotions around the world, kicking ass and gaining a reputation for being a fighter’s fighter. That rep doesn’t pay the bills, though. So it was really nice to see “Gamebred” become a breakthrough star for the UFC in 2019.

While he never managed to win a UFC title, he cashed out of sport with a full bank account. Full enough that he was willing to leave a lot of money on the table to retire on his own terms.

Masvidal suffered his fourth loss in a row to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287, and that decision loss was enough to convince him it was time to stop. That’s despite having a few more more big fights on the horizon. He’d feuded with Kevin Holland all week in Miami, almost getting into two brawls with “Big Mouth.” Jorge could have easily stuck around to fight Holland as a follow up, and it would have been a big fight.

Then there’s current welterweight champion Leon Edwards, who desperately wanted to get even with Masvidal after their infamous ‘three piece and soda’ run-in four years ago. While the King of Miami clearly isn’t cut out for title contention any more, exceptions can be made when a champion really wants vengeance.

Now “Rocky” is venting his frustration on social media that he’ll never get the chance to put his hands on Masvidal.

“F—ing bum Jorge fumbled the bag once again,” Edwards wrote on Twitter. “None of them really deserve it. Who should I fight next?”

The obvious answer, according to UFC president Dana White, is Colby Covington. Edwards still seems to be holding firm on his refusal to fight “Chaos,” but the UFC’s track record of getting what they want is pretty pristine.

As for Kevin Holland, he was clearly disappointed to see a high profile fight against Masvidal disappear. Holland knocked out Santiago Ponzinibbio in the third round (watch the finish here) and used his mic time afterward to call for a bout with “Gamebred.”

“Jorge retired?” he wrote on Twitter after seeing news of Masvidal’s decision, adding two facepalm emojis.

MMA fans are used to seeing their favorite fighters stick around way past their expiry date, especially if they can still cash big checks. Masvidal had several more huge paydays right there for the taking, but clearly knew his best days were behind him. So you gotta give him respect for doing the best thing for his health and legacy, even if we miss out on the conclusion of two entertaining feuds Jorge had all heated up and ready to go.