When (not if) Jorge Masvidal makes his triumphant return to the UFC, he hopes to share the Octagon with one of the welterweight division’s most respected stars.
On Saturday, July 6, ‘Gamebred’ will strap on the eight-ounce gloves for a big-money boxing match with former BMF rival Nate Diaz inside the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.
It will be the second time in their respective careers that the ex-UFC icons go toe-to-toe on pay-per-view, the first going down in November 2019 at UFC 244. There, Masvidal went home with a win via a doctor’s stoppage TKO following the third round, claiming the inaugural BMF title in the process.
During a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, Masvidal revealed that he has another rematch on his bucket list, though this one would be back inside the Octagon rather than in a boxing ring.
“A fight with ‘Wonderboy’ would be amazing,” Masvidal said when asked about a UFC return. “Definitely, I always wanted to get a rematch with him. Outside of the cage, since I’ve met him since before we fought, I’ve always had so much respect for ‘Wonderboy’ and who he is. He’s actually a good, positive person that’s out to do good.
“He’s a family man, a great guy. You can’t find anybody that will talk bad about him and say that he owes money or is a shady person or whatever. I really respect ‘Wonderboy’, so I would love to break bread with him. Let’s run it, and go in there and just give it all we’ve got… We’ll put it on for the fans. I would love, when I come back at some point, to fight Thompson” (h/t BJPenn.com).
‘Wonderboy’ could be the perfect welcome back fight for jorge masvidal
Stephen Thompson, or ‘Wonderboy’ as fans and fighters have come to know him, is one of the UFC’s most respected stars, having fought a who’s who of top-tier talent during his 14 years and still going career inside the Octagon. Along the way, he’s earned victories over the likes of Robert Whittaker, Johny Hendricks, Rory MacDonald, Vicente Luque, Geoff Neal, Kevin Holland, and of course, Jorge Masvidal.
Thomspon’s win over Masvidal came at UFC 217, almost two years before ‘Gamebred’ launched himself into superstardom with his iconic knockout of Ben Askren.
In the time since their fight, ‘Wonderboy’ has gone 3-5 while Masvidal stepped away from the UFC following a four-fight losing skid. With both fighters still carrying a ton of name recognition despite being far from title contention, Thompson vs. Masvidal 2 could be the perfect fight to welcome ‘Gamebred’ back to the show and give fans that big fight feel.
