Jorge Masvidal is still plotting his return to action, but it seems less and less likely that his next fight is going to happen at the UFC White House card in June.
While he expressed his interest in scoring a spot on the coveted card — possibly welcoming Conor McGregor back to the octagon — the first “BMF” champion admits he hasn’t heard much from the UFC in regards to booking him for that event. That said, Masvidal hasn’t lost hope because if the UFC comes calling with an offer for that card, he’s automatically saying yes no matter the opponent.
“If they call me up today or tomorrow, I’ll pretty much drop everything to be in that White House, because it’s a different moment in time and I think it will never happen again,” Masvidal told MMA Fighting. “It will just be cool to [have] another notch but I don’t know what’s going to happen. We haven’t really received too much word.”
If the UFC White House card doesn’t happen, Masvidal says he already has other plans in the works with a boxing match that’s been offered to him that could make for one of the biggest fights of his career.
He last set foot in the ring for a rematch against Nate Diaz in 2024 but ultimately lost a controversial majority decision that left a bad taste in his mouth. Add to that, Masvidal didn’t get paid his full purse by the company promoting the event, which led to a blockbuster lawsuit in an attempt to recoup what he was owed.
“The last company I boxed for was this company called Fanmio, which they owe me and Nate Diaz money,” Masvidal said. “I took them to court. I won in arbitration. I won in court. They owe me $5.3 million. That’s the company Fanmio, so all my fighters out there, make sure you know the name. The whole everybody with that company is also corrupt. The guy that owns that company Solomon [Engel], also very not a good person at all. He owes a lot of people money. I just want to put that out there for other fighters, these people going out there doing deals.
“Because after he did what he did to me and Nate, he was still trying to get guys like Ryan Garcia and other fighters signed to his promotion. I just want to make sure people are aware, especially the fight community, don’t get got by this guy. So as far as that experience goes, it was a shitty one. Win in California, beat the f*ck out of Nate, they gave him the decision and then they robbed my ass again.”
As much as he lost with that fight, Masvidal expects his next foray into boxing to go much smoother.
Although he couldn’t name names, the 52-fight MMA veteran says this time around he’s dealing with a much more reputable company with an opponent in mind that could provide for one of his biggest and best challenges to date.
“I know I’m coming back,” Masvidal said. “Let’s say in the fall. I don’t know if it’s the White House or it’s a big boxing event — massive, like one of the year’s bigger boxing events. When it gets announced, it’ll break the internet. We haven’t got the word, we haven’t finalized the contract but we’re almost there.
“I have this massive opportunity that the UFC is allowing me [to take]. They’re not cutting me or nothing, they’re just allowing me to go do it, and I’m still part of the company. I still work with the company closely on other things. They’re just allowing me to go box and get this money. But it’s huge money. It’s very, very good money for myself and my family and the exposure of it. If I don’t get the White House, I get it. I’m not as happy as I could be but I’m also not mad at all because I’m going to be all right.”
As far as potential opponents, Masvidal couldn’t give anything away but he’s obviously got plenty of options available to him.
A trilogy fight against Diaz gets brought up often because technically they are now tied 1-1 in the series with Masvidal winning their fight in the UFC and then dropping the majority decision in the boxing ring.
Masvidal isn’t opposed to crossing paths with Diaz again, but he doesn’t feel like there’s much left to prove considering he feels he won in both MMA and boxing already. Perhaps a third combat sport would provide a little more excitement.
“Don’t do that to him. You want him to f*cking get slaughtered again,” Masvidal said about Diaz. “I beat the brakes off that boy in California. Threw more shots, landed more shots. Threw more power shots, landed more power shots. I don’t know what category this guy won in other than this freaking fight took place in California, with scumbag [Gavin]Newsom over there because everything is corrupt over there. It’s f*cking nuts. From the fire department to the fighting. They robbed me in that motherf*cking fight. But if Nate wanted it again, let’s do f*cking Muay Thai.
“We already did MMA. That’s too easy. Let’s do f*cking Muay Thai. Let’s have some Muay Thai fun.”
Another potential opponent is Darren Till, who Masvidal brutally knocked out in the UFC, but he’s since gone onto find a lot of success in boxing. Till currently sports a 3-0 record in boxing, which includes a devastating finish over former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold.
The chance to run it back with Till in boxing definitely intrigues Masvidal and he certainly wouldn’t turn down that fight if the opportunity was right.
“At the right time and place, I think it’d be a good one,” Masvidal said about a rematch against Till. “Why not? He keeps doing his thing, every time he fights, he gets people going wild, especially in boxing it fits him very well. He just has to go out there and make people talk about it and then we can make that happen. I’m here to make money.”
Despite a very poor experience and result with his last crossover into boxing, Masvidal anticipates a much better result the next time around because he’s taking every precaution to ensure he gets paid and gets a good opponent.
He’s also not planning to return to California for his next fight, but outside of that state, Masvidal says he’s open for business.
“Not getting paid, boxing in that sense left me with a very bad taste in my mouth,” Masvidal said. “That’s why I said the next company I sign with, I make sure they’re well established and been around for a while and can do what he says we thought these people could do. Because they had given a big down payment, but it’s still not what it is, what it should be.”
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