Jorge Masvidal: My Management Have Talked To Conor McGregor, They Don’t Want The Fight
Everyone is talking about a potential fight between Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal.
The time has never been more perfect. McGregor made his return to Octagon action earlier this month (Sat. January 18, 2020) when he headlined UFC 246 on pay-per-view (PPV). The Irishman returned to the Octagon after over a year away, his last fight being a 2018 submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, to take on Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone at welterweight.
McGregor is a natural lightweight, having won the 155-pound title back in 2016 before being stripped due to inactivity, but decided to come back at welterweight to avoid cutting weight. It was an impressive performance for McGregor against Cerrone, who only needed 40 seconds to put the fight away. In attendance for the bout was Masvidal, the 2019 Fighter Of The Year who registered three victories via finish over high-level opponents.
“”””Gamebred” knocked out Darren Till and Ben Askren cold, before scoring a third-round TKO win over Nate Diaz at UFC 244, by way of a doctor’s stoppage, to win the first and only BMF Championship. Fans are calling for a McGregor vs. Masvidal showdown, which would likely produce some big bucks for the Las Vegas-based mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion. But according to Masvidal on “The Rich Eisen Show,” the McGregor camp doesn’t want the fight. (H/T MMA Fighting)
“Our management have been talking back and forth and it’s not in their future,” Masvidal said. “It’s not something they want… And that’s good for him. Go do your thing. Go back down to your division. Do whatever you’re gonna do. Whether you’re gonna win or lose, that’s none of my business. Go do your stuff but at 170, there’s only one sheriff in town.”
Masvidal believes McGregor knows he won’t get past him inside the Octagon, and coming off his first win in MMA competition since 2016, he wants to rack up a few more victories rather than run into a dangerous matchup in the Miami native. In the meantime, Masvidal is content to challenge UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, a matchup “Gamebred” is very confident he’ll have an easy time with when they finally meet.
“I’m not saying [Conor]’s scared because anybody that makes that walk, that gets into the cage, that fights champions how he’s fought, it’s not that he’s scared,” Masvidal said. “But he knows it’s not a good outcome. Why gamble it up? He just got a win, go get another win. Have fun. He said it in the interview himself, he doesn’t feel up to speed, he’s not up to par yet.
“So let him go get ready. While he’s doing that, there’s this guy that’s going around saying that he has a championship, I’m gonna go take it. I’m gonna go take that guy’s belt. I forgot his name but what’s-his-face, Usman, he’s gonna get bodied. I’m gonna say it now, I’m gonna embarrass that individual.
“He’s the welterweight champ but he’s soon to be uncrowned. Let him enjoy his moment now that he has the belt. He’s at the pinnacle of his life because from here it’s a violent way down.”
What do you think of Masvidal claiming the McGregor camp doesn’t want to fight him?
