As UFC 251 heats up, we look back at an iconic address to Jorge Masvidal by Dwayne Johnson. The post came via Ariel Helwani and serves as a stark reminder as to Masvidal’s meteoric rise in the promotion. ‘Gamebred’ is primed to return to action against Kamaru Usman for the Welterweight strap on July 11 in Abu Dhabi.
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Actor and influencer Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson had spoken out following an emphatic victory by Miami’s own Jorge Masvidal. ‘Gamebred’ rose to stratospheric levels of stardom after beating Nate Diaz at UFC 244 in November 2019. Moreover, the bout was contested for the newly minted BMF title that was handed over by ‘The Rock’.
Dwayne Johnson on Jorge Masvidal
The megastar actor had an interesting take on Jorge Masvidal as he gave an insight into his fellow Miami native. ‘The Rock’ had some words of advice for the 35-13 fighter that held him in good stead.
“Jorge has been in the game a very, very long time. I’m from Miami and his lore and legend of being a street fighter in Miami is very, very real. I reminded him what an incredible opportunity this is, and to take advantage of it, continue to work hard as, of course, he is going to do. Also, he’s got a sharp wit about him that makes him likable.
“He loves to talk sh** as we all do down in Miami, but he also has a cool, smart, sharp wit about him.”
A backstage encounter
The former street fighter was seen in conversation with Dwayne Johnson backstage following his victory. In an unprecedented move, the UFC had curated a one-time BMF belt during the company’s return to the Garden.
The actor went on to comment on an issue that would arise between Masvidal and the UFC in the future. Chiefly the narrative going into 2020 for the veteran fighter was that of fighter pay and contract negotiations.
“He’s got his head in the right place, one, do everything he can to impact his own bottom line and impact the company’s bottom line. It will in turn generate more income for himself and for the company and fighters. He’s making sure his value is realized. I’m sure he’s going to be ‘fighter of the year’ in 2019, he’s got an opportunity to be one of the greatest of all time.”
Less than a year later, Masvidal is on the cusp of breaking new ground in his 17th year as a professional. The words of wisdom by ‘The Rock’ have come to fruition in more ways than one.
