Jorge Masvidal isn’t going to chase Conor McGregor if the Irishman doesn’t really want to fight. That means the BMF champion might soon stake his claim to become a UFC champion.
At UFC 246, McGregor made a triumphant return to the octagon with a 40-second demolition of Donald Cerrone, but afterward he was hesitant to name anyone in particular as his next opponent.
Masvidal took that as a sign that McGregor really didn’t want to face him and that’s why he’s started looking toward alternative plans for his first fight in 2020.
“He don’t want the fight, so I don’t give a f*** no more,” Masvidal told ESPN on Monday. “I’m moving on from that fight. This dude didn’t want the fight. I’m not here to bully. I guess it’s Usman’s head. He sealed Usman’s fate now.
“I make a considerably larger paycheck with Conor, but if it’s on the personal side, if it’s all potatoes and tomatoes being the same, I would take a lot more pleasure in dismantling Usman’s face than I would Conor’s. I would have a sincere joy inside of me like a kid on Christmas opening numerous gifts if Usman was the dude that I got to baptize.”
While Usman has largely discounted Masvidal in the wake of his fifth-round TKO finish of Colby Covington at UFC 245, the welterweight champion appears to have changed his tune.
Usman previously stated that he didn’t think Masvidal’s 3-2 record over his past five fights warranted title contention, but added that he’ll fight anybody the UFC puts in front of him as he looks to defend his title.
It appears Masvidal has his attention now with Usman calling for the fight on Twitter this week.
“For all you real fans out there that know what’s up, Jorge Masvidal is doing everything possible to avoid taking this [loss],” Usman wrote. “Dana White has spoken so [shut the f*** up] and take this ass whooping like the journeyman you are and then you can go fight Conor.”
The fight between Usman and Masvidal is far from official, but White said on Saturday night at the UFC 246 post-fight press conference that he’s definitely targeting that as the next 170-pound title fight.
“Me, you and everybody else knows that’s the fight to make,” White said. “The fight is Masvidal and Usman.”
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