Jorge Masvidal to Conor McGregor: ‘Leave me the f**k alone’ if you don’t want to fight

There’s recently been a tidal wave of buzz surrounding a potential scrap between former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor and surging UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal. Both parties have expressed interest in fighting the other, and many fans are hoping the fight will happen in 2020.

From the sounds of it, however, Masvidal isn’t sure McGregor actually wants the fight. But he would like a solid answer one way or the other. He discussed the matchup on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday.

“I would want that fight because it’s a big money fight,” Masvidal said of facing McGregor (via MMA Fighting). “It’s a dude that’s two-time division champion, he has some impressive records, and he comes to fight. So in that aspect, yes. We’re gonna f*ckin’ both sell out wherever we’re f*cking fighting at, and there’s gonna be violence. But if the dude doesn’t want to fight, I’m not a bully. Go do your thing. If he doesn’t want this, I don’t give a f*ck then. You don’t want to fight, you don’t want to fight, but don’t flirt with me. You either want it, or you don’t. Leave me the f*ck alone if you don’t.”

While Masvidal doubts the sincerity of McGregor’s recent calls for a fight, he does find the idea of a fight with Irishman alluring. As he suggested above, the fight would be incredibly lucrative for all involved. So much so that he’d prefer it to a welterweight title shot agains Kamaru Usman.

“We’ll go get the money because the Conor fight is not [always] going to be there,” Masvidal said.

Whoever Masvidal ends up fighting next, he guarantees that 2020 will be an even bigger year for him than 2019 was—quite a claim considering he finished Darren Till, Ben Askren and Nate Diaz in that span.

“2019 was a good year, but that f*cking year is over,” Masvidal said. “2020 is gonna be better. 2019 was just a preview for what I’m gonna do to people. If you want to see violence, tune the f*ck in.”

What do you think should be next for Jorge Masvidal?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 1/7/2020.