Jorge Masvidal says ‘someone else would’ve got baptised’ at UFC 244 if Nate Diaz was out

Jorge Masvidal would’ve been happy to “baptise someone else” at UFC 244 had Usada suspended Nate Diaz.

A positive drugs test for elevated levels of a banned substance in Diaz’s out-of-competition sample threw the main event of Saturday night’s Madison Square Garden card into jeopardy last week.

Diaz was ultimately cleared to compete, but Masvidal was prepared to step into the Octagon without him.

“If they paid my handsome fee, for a fact someone else would have got baptised,” Masvidal told a media scrum. “I was thinking King Kong, Godzilla, one of those guys.

“As long as my fee’s matched, whoever they find that at that moment would be brave enough at 10 days’ notice … I don’t expect another professional to step up and be all, ‘Me, me, me’.”

Masvidal did get one concrete offer online – from UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

“I know there was a lot of guys talking, some idiot was talking saying he would have done it on 10 days’ notice when he didn’t do it on seven weeks’ notice for the same event,” Masvidal said.

“That’s called a clout chaser, I think the younguns call it nowadays. You just wanna throw your name in the mix, because no money in the world is gonna make you step in that cage on November 2.

“I’m not gonna mention his name and make him famous. We all know who I’m talking about.”