UFC Superstar Says No to Megafight: ‘I’m Stubborn’

Jorge Masvidal, Nate Diaz

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A potential superfight with UFC superstar Conor McGregor has been quickly rejected by one of his newest rivals. Jorge Masvidal said Tuesday that he wants an immediate rematch with UFC welterweight titleholder Kamaru Usman and isn’t interested in fighting the Irish superstar right now.

“I want that damn belt, and I’m stubborn,” Masvidal told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.

Usman defeated Masvidal in the main event of UFC 251 on Saturday night by unanimous decision. Masvidal’s expert striking was not a factor against the superb wrestling skills of Usman. Both fighters took the match on just six days’ notice after Usman’s original opponent, Gilbert Burns, dropped out for health reasons.

You can watch Masvidal’s entire interview with Helwani below.


‘It’s Not About Money’

In the world of sports, money is often the deciding factor with many decisions. But Masvidal isn’t like most athletes, even when it comes to a possible superfight with McGregor. During his interview with Helwani, Masvidal expressed that he is confident his income will be steady for the foreseeable future.

“You can tell me that McGregor right now would make X, Y, Z dollars, the biggest pay-per-view you get in history, right, and I’m going to get paid forever,” Masvidal said. “I feel I’m getting compensated well enough now that if I keep making the right decisions I’ve been doing, this money is forever money. So it’s not about money.”

It seems the 35-year-old from Miami is set on proving he’s a better fighter than Usman, and he doesn’t want to wait to do it. Masvidal also doesn’t mind leaving money on the table with a potential superfight against McGregor.

“And I know I’m better than Usman, and I want to prove it. I want to fight again,” said Masvidal. “I’m not going to take nothing from him; he won the first one. Let’s do it again.”

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Jorge Masvidal Always Remains Authentic

One thing we can all count on from Masvidal is that the fighter from Miami is always going to be himself, so no one should be surprised that he’s willing to shelve a potentially very lucrative superfight against McGregor so he can avenge his loss to Usman.

Masvidal is a unique individual. This is the same man that in the early 2000s came out of the Miami streetfighting scene made popular by legendary brawler Kimbo Slice. Masvidal eventually leveraged his street fighting days into a successful UFC career.

In fact, he’s become so successful, that up until he took this fight against Usman on just six days’ notice, the fighter had demanded more money from the UFC and when that offer was rejected, he simply waited until the UFC came calling.

And the UFC did exactly that a week before UFC 251 was scheduled to take place.


What’s Next for Conor McGregor?

Technically, the UFC superstar retired at the beginning of June. But no one believes that this was a permanent retirement, including UFC President Dana White.

Masvidal is often touted as the next best opponent for McGregor, at least inside an Octagon. But with Masvidal narrowly focused on a rematch with Usman, where does that leave the Irishman?

A match with Masvidal would surely be a huge money-making event for everyone involved, but another opponent suggested for McGregor is Dustin Poirier.

The American’s stunning decision win over Dan Hooker at UFC Fight Night on June 27th was immediately touted as a Fight of the Year candidate. The 31-year-old has won six of his last seven fights to prove he’s the man to beat at 155 pounds.

McGregor defeated Poirier via first-round stoppage six years ago at UFC 178, but both fighters have changed so much since that time it would be reasonable to see both inside a cage again.

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