Jorge Masvidal says return to lightweight is possible

Jorge Masvidal has recently been collecting scalps in the welterweight division, but he spent the earlier chapters of his career competing in the lightweight division.

It’s no secret that Masvidal had a difficult time cutting down to the lightweight division’s 156-pound limit, but from the sounds if it, the 35-year-old would attempt the cut again if the money was right.

“It wasn’t until 170, they gave me top-10 and top-5 guys, so I never got, I felt, my fair due shot at ’55. I beat a lot of good guys when I was down there, in the UFC, as well,” Masvidal said on his YouTube channel (transcript via MMA Junkie). “The moolah is going to talk man; 155 is such a battle with my weight. It’s always been a lot of water, and that doesn’t leave me the night of the fight in the best shape that I could possibly be in.

“Like how I compete at 170, I have that explosion,” Masvidal continued. “I could explode a little bit more and for longer. At ’55, it would be a little different, but that’s not to say I couldn’t win one and that I couldn’t make the weight. If they were to cop up that money, I’d be in a hurry to get down there and show what I’m worth.”

While Masvidal seems opens to a return to the lightweight division under the right circumstances, it’s doubtful we see him make that drop anytime soon. Not only has the entire sports industry been paused by the coronavirus pandemic, but Masvidal is expected to get the next crack at UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Do you think we’ll see Jorge Masvidal back in the UFC lightweight division in the future, or should he stick to welterweight?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 3/17/2020.