Jorge Masvidal and His History With Bellator MMA

Published 04/21/2021, 3:10 PM EDT

Jorge Masvidal returns this weekend as he challenges for the welterweight title at UFC 261 against Kamaru Usman in what will be a rematch between the duo.

Masvidal, a true veteran of the fight game, will look to finally reach the pinnacle of the sport by capturing the UFC gold. He has fought in many famous global organizations like Bodog, Sengoku, Bellator MMA, Strikeforce, and of course the UFC.

Here we take a look back at the time Masvidal used to be a Bellator fighter. His stint in the promotion lasted for 3 fights. ‘Gamebred’ was in fact the main event of the first-ever Bellator card. He fought Nick Agallar to headline the BFC 1 card.

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The likes of Eddie Alvarez, Luis Palomino, Joe Soto were part of the card alongside Masvidal. The ATT fighter went on to win by knockout in the 1st round against Agallar. He fought 2 more times in the organization.

Jorge Masvidal’s run in Bellator MMA

After his win at BFC 1, Masvidal was matched up against submission wizard Toby Imada. The Miami native started the fight in style controlling the range and striking department of the fight.

However, Imada caught him with an inverted triangle choke which is one of the rarest submissions in the sport. Imada left Masvidal unconscious on the ground as the latter refused to tap. It was a scary yet spectacular submission that snapped his 3-fight winning streak.

Masvidal’s third and final fight in Bellator was against Eric Reynolds in 2009 at the BFC 12 card. He managed to get a win by submission this term and parted ways with the organization. His record was 2-1 in Bellator in a rather short stint.

After 4 fights in different organizations like Sengoku, G-Force, Shark Fight, and Astra, Masvidal debuted under the Strikeforce banner in 2011 and defeated Billy Evangelista. He challenged Gilbert Melendez for the Strikeforce lightweight belt after a win against K.J. Noons.

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In 2013, the UFC took over Strikeforce, and ‘Gamebred’ made his debut in the promotion against Time Means. The promotion has been his permanent home since.

Masvidal has challenged for UFC gold once as he stepped up on short notice at UFC 251. This weekend presents him with another opportunity to capture the holy grail of combat sports.

What did you make of Jorge Masvidal’s run in Bellator MMA? Can he become a UFC champion this weekend? Share your thoughts.

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Written by:

Apratim Banerjee is an MMA author for EssentiallySports and has been writing professionally for almost a year. Before his current gig, Apratim worked as a UFC writer for Sportskeeda. A long-time MMA fan, Apratim has developed a critical eye for the sport that has helped him transfer his vast knowledge to his copies and give hardcore and casual readers a detailed insight into the fights and fighters.

Jorge Masvidal and His History With Bellator MMA

Jorge Masvidal’s run in Bellator MMA

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