![UFC Fighter Jorge Masvidal](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Jorge-Masvidal.jpg?quality=65&strip=all&w=780)
Getty Is Leon Edwards next for Jorge Masvidal?
UFC star Jorge Masvidal was slammed on social media over the weekend by Ben Askren for the “BMF” champ’s backing of YouTuber Jake Paul in his upcoming boxing battle vs. retired MMA champ Askren on April 17.
Masvidal had been catching flak online from MMA fans all weekend over his appearance with Paul via phone at the Paul vs. Askren press conference on Friday.
If you missed that wild moment, you can see it below.
After hearing all sorts of things from fans on social media about his association with Paul, Masvidal decided to tweet his thoughts and feelings about the matter.
Masvidal posted, “The individual I buried does not represent MMA. He represents all the hardcore and casual crotch sniffers #andnew”.
Askren replied, “I’ve refrained for 2 years, but let’s be real Jorge. You landed the luckiest knee of your life and I made you famous. You’re welcome. You got 50-43’d by Usman and will likely again next month. Beat it loser.”
You can see that entire interaction below.
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Masvidal’s Stunning KO at UFC 239
Masvidal stunningly stopped Askren in the first round at UFC 239 in 2019.
The five-second KO is the fastest knockout in UFC history. The epic knee that netted “Gamebred” the win helped launch Masvidal’s career into the realm of superstar status while simultaneously sending Askren’s career careening off in the opposite direction.
You can watch that KO from three years ago below.
Askren retired from MMA that same year, but now the 36-year-old is set to face Paul in a boxing match on April 17.
While most of the MMA world seems to be rallying behind the former Bellator MMA and ONE welterweight champion, Masvidal has taken the opposite side.
He’s been seen palling around Miami with Paul and has been part of Paul’s carefully crafted promotional strategy.
That hasn’t sat very well with some MMA fans, and now it appears Asrken isn’t too keen on the whole thing either.
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Masvidal’s Next Fight at UFC 261
Masvidal’s next fight has nothing to do with Askren or Paul.
Instead, the popular American is headed into an immediate rematch against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
UFC 261: Usman vs. Masvidal 2 is set for April 24, and it will be the first UFC pay-per-view event with a full crowd on hand in the United States since the global pandemic began last year.
UFC 261 will take place at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. That’s the same venue that Usman defeated Masvidal by unanimous decision in 2020 with no fans in attendance at UFC 251.
But Masvidal had less than a week’s notice for that fight, so this time he expects a different outcome.
The stacked card features the important Usman vs. Masvidal rematch as well as two other fights for UFC gold.
UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko will defend her belt against former UFC women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade in the co-main event.
The other title fight features Weili Zhang defending her UFC women’s strawweight championship against former champ Rose Namajunas.
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Jorge Masvidal Slammed: ‘I Made You Famous’ [LOOK]