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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 16: Jorge Masvidal prepares to fight Darren Till of England in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at The O2 Arena on March 16, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 16: Jorge Masvidal prepares to fight Darren Till of England in their welterweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at The O2 Arena on March 16, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
UFC’s BMF champion Jorge Masvidal returns to action this weekend as he challenges Kamaru Usman for the undisputed welterweight gold. The main event of UFC 261 will be a rematch between ‘Gamebred’ and ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’. Ahead of the fight, Masvidal discussed his future in an interview with ESPN. A certain Jake Paul was brought up in the conversation.
‘The Problem Child’ recently defeated Masvidal’s former opponent, Ben Askren, in a boxing match. Now, the YouTuber turned boxer is looking for a potential opponent. When asked if the celebrity is in the mix as a potential opponent, Masvidal shared his take.
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“Jake Paul ain’t calling me out, man, I’m telling you. It’s not happening. I don’t mind it, I don’t mind some easy money, man, but I didn’t grow up on Disney channel. I didn’t grow up trying to be a famous movie star or any of that stuff. I grew up in a boxing gym, I grew up in a striking gym, on a wrestling mat,” said Masvidal.
Paul was seen training with Masvidal in the famous American Top Team gym ahead of his fight with Askren. Masvidal received some criticism for his role in that. But later former welterweight champion Tyron Woodley revealed that Masvidal didn’t actually train with the YouTuber.
Nevertheless, who Paul fights next is still not clear. As for Masvidal, he will probably be fighting the biggest fight of his career, in what will be his 50th bout as a professional mixed martial artist.
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Can Jorge Masvidal finally become a UFC champion at UFC 261?
Masvidal will feel he has a better chance of dethroning Usman this term as he fights ‘The Nigerian Nightmare‘ with a full training camp. ‘Gamebred‘ stepped up on six days’ notice last time and went the full five rounds. Hence, one can expect him to possess a better gas tank in this fight.
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ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JULY 12: Jorge Masvidal battles Kamaru Usman in their UFC welterweight championship fight during the UFC 251 event at Flash Forum on UFC Fight Island on July 12, 2020 on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
However, the champion is determined to improve his performance this time as he believes he didn’t showcase his full arsenal of skills at the Flash Forum on Fight Island. Both fighters will feel they have an extra chip on their shoulder and that adds to the excitement of the fight.
Who gets it done this weekend? Share your thoughts.
