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UFC “BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal enjoyed an incredible run during 2019.
Masvidal, 35, from Miami, Fla., defeated Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz to become Fighter of the Year according to to many publications including CBS Sports and others.
But Masvidal’s final win of the year against Diaz at UFC 244 in November was stopped by the ringside physician after three action-packed rounds in New York when Masvidal opened up some gruesome cuts around Diaz’s eye.
The win earned Masvidal the UFC’s first-ever “BMF” title for being the “baddest motherf**cker in the game” and many people were hoping to see the two stars fight an immediate rematch because of the way the fight ended.
Masvidal addressed that possibility to Heavy this week in an exclusive interview.
“I got plenty of options on the table, as does Nate,” Masvidal said. “When he comes back and pulls a fight, and I don’t know if he has to do surgery, I don’t know what it is.”
Masvidal said he was open to facing any top welterweight in the coming months, including Diaz, but that he wasn’t going to single out just one because the most important thing to him was to get a fight scheduled.
Having become one of the most popular fighters in the UFC over the last year through his stunning 2019 efforts, Masvidal is seeking to capitalize on his newfound fame and fortune with megafights against the likes of Conor McGregor and Kamaru Usman.
“What I do know is that I will not just sit around and wait for somebody indefinitely, nobody,” Masvidal said. “That is nobody. Not Conor, not Usman, not Nate. When I say, ‘time to go’, it’s going to be time to go.”
Masvidal told Heavy he expects to make an announcement about his next fight sometime within the next few weeks.
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Masvidal’s 2020 Options Include Superfights
Masvidal’s options for 2020 include some of the biggest names in the sport. The fighter is very likely on the shortlist for being McGregor’s next opponent even if UFC president Dana White isn’t completely on board with the idea. That’s because McGregor is the biggest star in the UFC and has the ultimate control that goes along with it about deciding who he fights next.
Still, Masvidal doesn’t expect McGregor to choose him for his next fight, so he’s ramping up pressure on UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman to give him the title shot Masvidal feels he deserves.
The Nigerian-born Usman, 32, also enjoyed a fantastic year in 2019. Usman defeated Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 in March to capture the UFC welterweight championship and outslugged Colby Covington at UFC 245 in December to remain champ.
Masvidal expects to be the next contender for Usman’s crown because he sits at No. 3 in the UFC’s welterweight rankings behind Woodley and Covington who Usman already defeated. That makes Masvidal the highest-ranked contender for the 170-pound belt that hasn’t yet received a title shot.
On top of that, Masvidal is riding a huge wave of popularity right now with fans and that probably gives him the leg-up on just about any other fighter in the division besides McGregor in terms of how promotable he is for any given fight.
While McGregor defeated Cerrone at UFC 246 in stunning fashion, it was only his third fight ever at welterweight and came against a fighter ranked by the UFC at lightweight. There’s no telling if McGregor truly intends on staying at 170 to compete against the division’s top competitors like Masvidal or if he’s simply going to continue to fight other lightweights there, as suggested by his coach in possibly facing Justin Gaethje next, or move back down altogether.
Moreover, there’s still the possibility Masvidal rematches Diaz.
But no matter who Masvidal takes on first in 2020, the fighter told Heavy he plans to continue performing at the exceptionally high level he’s attained over recent fights.
“I love to compete,” Masvidal said. “I’m going to go out there and just outperform myself of what I did last year. What I did last year is just my standard for 2020.”
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