Jorge Masvidal may have lost to UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman on Saturday night, but he still has plenty of options available to him when he looks to the future.
After accepting a fight just six days in advance, Masvidal managed to clinch the final bell with Usman, but still fell short of the decision. Now his main objective is to win a rematch and he is ready to face anyone to get there.
Well, anyone who isn’t called Colby Covington.
“The frail guy in the MAGA hat, definitely not him,” Masvidal said, referring to Covington at the UFC 251 post-fight press conference. “Because this guy ended it with a full training camp. I was like 12 weeks old and that guy finished it. That guy is below me and this guy by far.
“Six days in advance and he was not close to hurting me or being bothered. The gas tank wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t going anywhere when it came to damage. Everyone could see that. So it’s definitely not that punk. “
Masvidal and Covington have engaged in a very public war of words since their friendship turned into a rivalry. Previously, welterweights trained together at the American Top Team in Florida for several years.
They disagreed for quite some time even when their teammates worked under the same roof, but Covington recently parted ways with the team to attack on their own.
While that may be a marketable fight, Masvidal just doesn’t see how that helps him long after Usman ended Covington last December.
“Other than you and a couple of reporters here, nobody knows that guy,” Masvidal said. “And he’s just finished with the guy I fought with six days in advance. He broke his jaw, he had to run away from there.
“I don’t think it’s at this level. But I don’t know who it will be. Whoever makes the most sense to us.
Another name that came up on Saturday night was Leon Edwards, who is currently on a streak of eight straight wins in the division.
After his knockout victory over Darren Till in 2019, Masvidal had an altercation with Edwards after they exchanged words behind the scenes. Masvidal ended up throwing a quick combination of punches before security could step in and tear them apart before a fight could really break out.
“Leon Edwards, I don’t know,” Masvidal said of the fight. “If the numbers make sense, or whoever it is, the numbers make sense, and it brings me closer to the title.”
Edwards was offered the fight with Usman several weeks ago, but declined the opportunity due to a bad time in large part due to the closure in the UK due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With UFC President Dana White declaring Gilbert Burns the next No. 1 contender to face Usman, that would leave Edwards and Masvidal without opponents.
Whether that fight or another, Masvidal seems primarily concerned with the fights that will eventually allow him to return to the title race.
“Definitely whoever it takes, but we will pick the right opponents,” Masvidal said. “I will not fight a Joe Blow or an up and corner. We will make sure it is the right fight to get me to the title or whatever it takes to get to the title. “
