Getty Jorge Masvidal
The promotion’s “Baddest Motherf*****,” Jorge Masvidal, will not be putting his ceremonial title on the line against Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 on April 8.
That’s what “Gamebred” told Ariel Helwani on MMA Fighting’s “The MMA Hour” this Monday. Masvidal won the belt in 2019 by besting Nate Diaz, and it has remained on his mantel ever since. The UFC star has fought three times since then — losing twice to then-welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and dropping a unanimous decision to Colby Covington in his most recent bout in March 2022. But, the “BMF” belt was never up for grabs.
And it won’t be during his battle with Burns, even though “Durinho” wants to compete for it in a five-round fight. “Come on @danawhite April 8 has to be 5 rounds!” Burns tweeted on Monday. “Put that belt on the line! Everybody knows It’s only one guy in the @ufc that fights ANYONE!”
Masvidal responded to Burns on the show. “[If] they pay me BMF money, which the UFC ain’t going to up it up for more money, so sorry Gilbert,” Masvidal said. “I already got my contract. I already signed my s***. I could give a f*** less.”
Further, Gamebred won’t oblige Burns’ five-round demand. “Three rounds is more than enough that I need for Gilbert,” he said. “I like all the publicity and extra that he’s putting into it, but brother, three rounds is all I need for that.”
Masvidal Is Ready for Burns to ‘Test’ His Grappling
Gamebred’s three losses largely stem from his wrestling and grappling deficiencies relative to Usman and Covington’s, two high-level wrestlers. Masvidal has been hard at work in the gym improving his ability to stay on his feet. And he views Burns — a highly accomplished Brazilian jiu-jitsu player — as the perfect test to see where his abilities are at.
“I’m glad it’s a guy like Gilbert. … I’ve been in this sport, and it’s only been to fight the best of the best of the best in the world, and he’s perfect in a lot of ways for me to test my grappling, because I know he’s going to come test me in grappling,” Masvidal said. “I know he’s going to talk a big game that he’s going to come and strike with me and all this BMF s***, but at the end of the day, I’m ‘Gamebred,’ he’s Gilbert, he’s going to go for the takedown, 100 miles per hour and hope that he gets in, and if that fails, he’ll come strike with me.
“So I’m going to be prepared to grapple him, and the next and the next and the next, because I know I’ve got the hands to beat all these guys. I’ve got the knees and elbows that change lives in seconds. I’ve just got to fine-tune a couple things, and I’ve been working on it.”
Burns Picked Up a Dominant Win Earlier This Month
Durinho was inside the Octagon on January 21 when he met Neil Magny during UFC 283’s pay-per-view featured bout. And Burns needed less than a round to remind fans why he’s a top-five welterweight.
He caught Magny in an arm-triangle choke, forcing the tap at 4:15 and snapping the momentum “The Haitian Sensation” brought with him into the cage. UFC president Dana White announced Burns vs. Masvidal last week and it will serve as the co-main event under the middleweight title rematch between champion Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya.