Barring injury, there’s only one thing that would stop Jorge Masvidal from fighting Tyron Woodley this July

This Saturday, on the main card of a blockbuster UFC 211, Jorge Masvidal will battle Demian Maia in what appears to be a welterweight number one contender fight. If Masvidal wins this fight and earns a title shot, of course, his title shot would pit him against an old friend and training partner in Tyron Woodley.

On a recent interview on BJ Penn Radio, Masvidal explained that, while fighting a former teammate for the title is not ideal, he’s prepared to do so if that’s what it comes to. During his segment on the show, Masvidal was also asked if he’d be willing to fight Woodley as soon as July. The champ, after all, been calling for a July title defense, but has had a difficult time finding a suitable opponent.

“Oh you know it,” Masvidal said, when asked if he would fight Woodley for the title this July. “As long as those numbers are right, I’m ready to go.”

“Like you said [I would have to be] injury free,” he said “The only thing that would stop me would be negotiations. We work our whole lives to get here, to this point, the belt. That’s the only thing that would stop me. God willing I win this fight [with Maia], I want to make money. I’ve got kids I want to feed. I’ve been watching all these imposters and actors make money for years, man, guys that can’t hold my jock strap when it comes to extra skill or will. It’s time for me to get paid. If I win this fight with Maia, I need to get paid handsomely for my skillset.”

Do you think it’s time Jorge Masvidal got a pay boost? If he’s paid appropriately, how do you think he’d do in a potential title fight with his former teammate Tyron Woodley?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 5/11/2017.