Jorge Masvidal said in an interview Sunday night with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani that he signed a new multiple contract with the UFC prior to his fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251.
Masvidal said the UFC did not give him everything he asked for, but that the deal was “very, very close” to that and that he is “happy” with it.
Masvidal had been one of the UFC’s most vocal stars in years on the subject of fighters’ pay. Last month, the welterweight star tweeted that if the UFC didn’t think it was worth it, the promotion should release him.
Those tweets were made when negotiations between the UFC and Masvidal for a welterweight title fight against Usman fell apart. On Sunday, just six days before the fight, the two sides finally reached an agreement.
Usman will defend his welterweight belt against Masvidal in the UFC 251 main event on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Usman’s previous opponent, Gilbert Burns, retired on Friday due to illness. Masvidal steps in six days in advance, though he was the challenger the UFC captured in the first place before the contract talks stopped.
“I am happier than anything because I can break this guy’s face and they pay me for it,” Masvidal said.
Masvidal said the UFC’s first offer last month for him to fight Usman was a “s-on deal on the pay-per-view side and the guaranteed side.”
“I can understand that you don’t want to give me so much with the guarantee,” Masvidal said. “But in pay per view, what I bring, what people buy, I want more money on that, and they did not move. And that was it. So, all this madness had to happen for them to come to their senses.”
Masvidal said he will not stop talking about what he perceives as a problem with the number of fighters they charge. But he said things have moved closer to an understanding between him personally and the UFC.
“We are not there yet, but we are heading in that direction,” Masvidal said. “Moving forward after this fight, they’ll treat me accordingly. Or I’ll just step in the last minute six days to get paid, I guess. That’s the new plan I have to do, whatever. But ‘They’ll pay me every time to leave “.
Masvidal flew to Las Vegas on Sunday and passed a COVID-19 test. He was quarantined in his hotel room on Sunday night and will be taking a private plane to Abu Dhabi on Monday. Usman is expected to leave Las Vegas on Monday as well. His manager Ali Abdelaziz told ESPN on Sunday night that “the fight is on.”
Regarding training and being ready to fight, Masvidal said he was not in a full training camp, because he did not know he would be competing in a fight until this weekend. But “Gamebred” said he had been in his American Top Team’s gym two or three times a week, lifting weights and staying active. Masvidal said he weighed 192 pounds on Saturday. It will have to weigh a maximum of 170 pounds next Friday for the title fight to be official.
“I never stopped training,” said Masvidal. “I’m always training. But I’m not always in the gym doing the details.” Masvidal said he believes he is in good shape to fight on Saturday, as he shoots Usman compared to two of Masvidal’s recent opponents.
“If you ask me, are you in shape?” Masvidal said. “… Maybe not to fight Ben Askren. I’m not in Ben Askren’s form, because he’s a hell of a fighter. Or even to fight a guy like Darren Till. But I’m in shape for this bum I’m about to behead. and baptize? Hell yes. “
Masvidal will have 48 professional fights on Saturday when he does the walk against Usman (waiting for more COVID-19 protocols in Abu Dhabi). That’s the second time for a fighter to appear in his first UFC title fight. If he wins, Masvidal already knows who he wants to defend the welterweight belt against: Nate Diaz and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Diaz praised the reprogramming of Usman vs. Masvidal this weekend, tweeting “Real fighters are better fights.” Masvidal arrested Diaz for TKO due to a doctor’s arrest at UFC 244 last November at Madison Square Garden. It was Masvidal’s third consecutive final, propelling him to UFC stardom and the legendary “BMF” title. But it wasn’t the way he wanted to beat Diaz.
“No matter what, it was a good fight,” said Masvidal. “Neither I nor the world got the results we wanted. I know Nate wants to run it again. I tell you, I’m speaking from the heart, I want to run it again.”
Of course, Usman is the first opponent. Masvidal foresees a vicious end at UFC 251.
“Cold blooded as it can be,” Masvidal said. “His body is catching air when I raise my hand over him. I’m going to baptize him, man, for the world to see. He’s going to be violent.”
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