Jorge Masvidal scoffs at critics of chasing money fights

UFC welterweight superstar Jorge Masvidal is scoffing at the critics who have suggested he shouldn’t be chasing money fights.

Masvidal is the clear-cut No. 1 contender in the UFC welterweight division now that Kamaru Usman defended his title against Colby Covington last week at UFC 245. However, Masvidal appears to be targeting a superfight against superstar Conor McGregor in MMA or taking his skills to the boxing ring to face off against the legend Floyd Mayweather.

“Gamebred” gave his thoughts in a recent interview with FanSided MMA in response to the critics who believe Masvidal should be chasing UFC gold and not money fights against McGregor and Mayweather. Here’s what he said (transcript via MMAjunkie.com).

“Conor is not always going to be around. Whoever has that belt at the time will always be there. There will always be a 170-pound champion. What is the big deal if this guy that’s been in the sport 16 (expletive) years goes on and gets a paycheck? I’m fighting a (expletive) killer, a two-time champion, a guy that’s a sniper with his left hand – and I’m also going to make a paycheck,” Masvidal said.

It’s a fair comment from Masvidal, who has been a long-time gatekeeper in MMA only to explode into superstardom in 2019 with stoppage wins over Nate Diaz, Ben Askren, and Darren Till. The Diaz fight was Masvidal’s first opportunity to headline a big-money pay-per-view, and considering he’s in his 30s now he knows that he won’t be around forever.

Masvidal just wants fans to understand that, at the end of the day, MMA fighters are prizefighters and they are chasing after the biggest prize. Usually, that means fighting for a title and becoming a champion. But right now, fights against McGregor and Mayweather are far more lucrative and Masvidal wants everyone to know where he’s coming from.

Do you think Jorge Masvidal’s message to his critics is fair?