Jorge Masvidal, who recently came out of retirement, is looking to compete in either boxing or MMA, with Nate Diaz being a likely opponent, and has also expressed interest in fighting Chael Sonnen.
Jorge Masvidal is itching for a fight. He’s got some scores to settle. He hung up his gloves last year after losing to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287. But “Gamebred” isn’t done yet. He kicked off 2024 with a bang, announcing his return from retirement.
He’s eyeing either boxing or MMA. There’s a list of potential opponents, but Nate Diaz is the frontrunner. Masvidal even posted a picture recently in Diaz’s hometown, Stockton, Calif. He spilled the beans about this on Wednesday’s episode of The MMA Hour.
“I was in Cali for a bit,” Masvidal shared. He decided to swing by Stockton. He’d never been there before. He heard the tacos were good, and maybe he’d bump into Nate. So, he took his crew there, scribbled his number on a piece of paper, and started handing it out. He was looking for Diaz.
He even went to a butcher shop. The butcher claimed to know Diaz well. Masvidal found that amusing since Diaz is a vegan. But he was there for beef, so he asked the butcher to help him find Diaz.
Masvidal knows that Diaz isn’t tech-savvy. Neither is he. So, he thought, why not do this the old-fashioned way? Face to face.
They had a memorable fight at UFC 244. Masvidal won the inaugural ‘BMF’ belt, a title created by Diaz. Diaz fought twice more in the UFC before leaving in 2022. He even had a boxing match against Jake Paul. He lost, but Masvidal thinks it’s because he underestimated Paul.
“I don’t think he was ready,” Masvidal said. He believes Diaz thought he was fighting a “Disney kid” and didn’t train enough. He’s sure Diaz won’t make that mistake with him. He knows Masvidal is out to knock him out.
Whether the fight happens is still uncertain. Diaz hasn’t fought since the Paul match. He’s been in the news for a possible MMA fight against Paul and a UFC return. But Masvidal hopes they can work something out. The UFC has given him the green light to pursue boxing.
“There’s no deal yet, but I’d love to box him,” Masvidal said. He wanted to fight him in MMA when they were both free. But timing didn’t work out. Now, the UFC is letting him box, and he hopes Diaz could be one of his opponents.
“We have unfinished business,” Masvidal said. He believes a boxing match would be fair since Diaz is good at jiu-jitsu and boxing. He also thinks Diaz’s weakness is kicks, which won’t be a factor in boxing.
If not Diaz, Masvidal has other options. But he has one name in mind: Chael Sonnen. “I can’t stand that guy,” Masvidal said. He’d love to fight Sonnen, but he doesn’t think Sonnen would ever step into the boxing ring with him.
Masvidal doesn’t like Sonnen. He thinks he’s a cheat who’s been caught with more substances than any other competitor. He’d love to break his eye orbital. “Do all the steroids you want, it doesn’t matter. I’m still going to break your eye orbital,” Masvidal said.
He thinks Sonnen is a fake gangster with fraud real estate charges. He compares him to Colby, saying they’re both cowards. But regardless of who he fights, Masvidal just wants it to happen soon. He has no legal issues and is ready to throw down. “I got no idea,” Masvidal said. “I ain’t got no charges, no cases on me, no probation, so we can make this s*** happen sooner than later.”