One of the most popular fighters in the UFC could be getting ready to make his return. Jorge Masvidal (35-15) took to Twitter this afternoon where he was asked about his return to the octagon. Gamebred responded with a single word: Soon.
The last time we saw Masvidal was at UFC 261 when he had his welterweight title rematch with Kamaru Usman. Masvidal was knocked out in the second round by the champion. It was the first time in Masvidal’s UFC career that he was stopped by strikes.
It’s been an interesting stretch for the BMF. Masvidal’s last victory came at UFC 244 when he defeated Nate Diaz (20-13) for the UFC‘s BMF title. The one-off title belt was awarded to Masvidal after a doctor called a stop to the action due to a cut on Diaz.
After that victory, Masvidal was promised a title shot. However, negotiations didn’t go well at first and Masvidal’s shot was given to Gilbert Burns. Gilbert Burns was set to fight Kamaru Usman to headline the UFC‘s first PPV on Fight Island, but he tested positive for COVID.
The promotion went back to Masvidal on a week’s notice and Masvidal took the fight. Masvidal lost, but Usman gave him a rematch to show that it didn’t matter how long Masvidal had to prepare. Ultimately, the champion was right this time around and Masvidal came up short at UFC 261.
Soon…. #supernecessary https://t.co/yxNraxM6zb
— Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) July 2, 2021
Who will Masvidal face in his UFC return?
There are a lot of great fights out there for the UFC’s BMF. His ultimate goal is to become welterweight champion, but it’s going to take another big winning streak to warrant another fight with Kamaru Usman.
Colby Covington is likely to get the next fight with the champion. With those two seemingly lined up, I think a matchup with Leon Edwards (19-3, 1 NC) would be great. There’s history there due to their backstage altercation back in 2019 and Edwards is at the top of the division.
A win over Leon Edwards would put Gamebred right back in title contention. Another possibility could be either Diaz brother. There’s history with Nate Diaz and at one point last year the UFC was looking at booking the BMF title rematch.
Nick Diaz (26-9, 2 NC) on the other hand is gearing up for his octagon return. The elder Diaz is wanting a big fight and he’s targeting a UFC return in September or October. That would seemingly line up with Masvidal’s tweet.
I don’t believe that a fight announcement is imminent, but I think we will start hearing more and more about Gamebred’s next move soon.
Sound Off: Who do you think Jorge Masvidal should fight when he returns to the octagon?