Jorge Masvidal has expressed his approval of Max Holloway as the new BMF champion, and has suggested a potential matchup with Justin Gaethje upon his return to MMA.
Jorge Masvidal’s got a smile on his face. Why? The new BMF champ, that’s why.
Max Holloway, folks. He’s the one who snagged the honorary title this past weekend. And boy, did he do it in style. A last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Talk about a showstopper!
And Masvidal? He’s over the moon. He’s the guy who bagged the first-ever BMF title by putting Nate Diaz in his place at UFC 244 in 2019.
“Max owning the title right now? It’s epic,” Masvidal gushed on The MMA Hour. “Couldn’t think of a better dude to hold it. Now that’s a BMF. He gets the BMF code. One of us has gotta be down when the bell rings.”
He’s stoked. “Best damn thing ever. After that battle, he’s up 3-2, worst-case scenario. He’s clearly winning the fight in my book. Gaethje had some moments, but he was never in control or winning the fight. So for him to do that, that little point — when that dude points at the ground, whoever the f*** you are, become an Olympic track sprinter. Don’t engage. He’s everyone’s favorite fighter. I’ve always loved Max.”
But Masvidal’s love for Holloway doesn’t extend to Gaethje. Gaethje’s the guy who beat Masvidal’s American Top Team teammate Dustin Poirier to claim the BMF title. After that, Masvidal suggested a matchup between the two if he returns to MMA. Gaethje didn’t take too kindly to Masvidal’s suggestion, and even took a few shots at Masvidal and his losses to Kamaru Usman.
And even though Gaethje no longer has the BMF belt, Masvidal is still interested in a fight. “The guy is like f****** Homer Simpson,” Masvidal said. “I don’t want to talk too much s*** about him because he just got f****** flat-lined. I’m hoping our paths cross in the UFC. This would be a very good comeback fight for me. Easy fight for me. He’s literally just walking forward, eating shots, no head movement, no nothing. It’s definitely a guy I’d love to f****** stick my fist through.”
Despite the harsh words, Masvidal insists that there’s no beef with Gaethje. He simply thinks “The Highlight” would be a good opponent for his return from retirement. “Nothing personal,” Masvidal continued. “Obviously he seems like he’s a little personal that I make picks and stuff, but I would love to bust f****** Gaethje’s face up. Let him heal from this because he might never come back the same. That was a war that he went through, and on top of that he got f****** executed. So Gaethje can say whatever the f*** he wants, but I’m not giving a f*** about it. But if our paths do cross paths? I’d light that motherf***** up.”
Masvidal retired from MMA in 2023 but ended that retirement in January, though a return to the cage is still uncertain. In the meantime, “Gamebred” has a different fight on the horizon as he faces Nate Diaz in a 10-round boxing match on June 1 at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, Calif.