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A disgruntled Jorge Masvidal has once again spoken out against Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), this time in an exclusive interview on ESPN’s SportsCenter (shown above).
Masvidal, who asked for his release from UFC earlier this week if the promotion failed to see his value, is trying to get paid the money he think he deserves for a title shot opposite UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. “Gamebred” has essentially joined UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in a fight against UFC and the promotion’s unwillingness to pay more for their biggest draws.
In his interview with ESPN, Masvidal had many questions to ask UFC as he tries to make the most out of his current star power.
“So I’m asking for a bigger revenue share of what we bring in you know,” said Masvidal. “I got a lot of questions and one of them is NBA, NHL, Baseball, they (the players) make I think fifty percent of what the organization brings in. Football I think it is forty-seven percent. Mine is like eighteen percent.”
“So I have these questions like why so much. Does putting the cage up cost so much? Is it the setup? But what is it that is so much? And I want these questions answered. So I thought what better place to come then on here and ask for these questions you know.”
When asked if he demanded his UFC release in concert with Jones’ outburst Masvidal said he was simply trying to work out his own deal.
“No. As I saw him going through his thing I was like my negotiations are reaching a stand still. We’re kind of at a stalemate. And they just got worse and worse. And then they offered this fight to somebody else for a lot less money and that person is willing to take it. So then I get short-changed in a way you know,” said Masvidal.
“It’s cool if somebody else is willing to do it for less money, but that puts us, or the guy who doesn’t want to do it for less money, in a weird situation because it’s not like I can go to another show and stuff like that. That’s illegal for us. We’re under contract.”
Masvidal, 35, captured the MMA spotlight last year after taking out Nate Diaz, Ben Askren, and Darren Till all by knockout. “Gamebred” also claimed the “Baddest Motherf—ker” belt at UFC 244 in one of the biggest PPV cards of the year. It only makes sense that Masvidal uses his momentum to score a major fight his next time out, but UFC seems reluctant to bend to his financial demands.
UFC president Dana White didn’t sound concerned earlier this week when discussing Masvidal’s request for his release and isn’t likely going to change his tune. Although, the UFC president is ready to finally sit down with Jones so maybe “Gamebred” will follow.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see which one of these questions is actually answered.