Source:
https://scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3042953/ufc-jorge-masvidal-blasts-casual-fans
Martial Arts/ Mixed Martial Arts

UFC: Jorge Masvidal blasts ‘casual fans’ criticising him for chasing Conor McGregor

  • ‘Gamebred’ hits out at critics ‘who have been watching the sport for three years’
  • ‘I had to go get famous before I was even questioned about a title shot … do you know how hard that was?’
Jorge Masvidal is awarded the ‘BMF’ belt by Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson after his victory by TKO on a medical stoppage against Nate Diaz. Photo: AFP

Jorge Masvidal has hit back at the fans criticising him for chasing a big-money fight with Conor McGregor, seemingly instead of prioritising a title shot against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.

Since beating Nate Diaz for the “BMF” title at UFC 244 to cap off a glorious 2019 that has seen him rise to MMA superstardom, Masvidal has also been calling for pay days against boxing superstars Canelo Alvarez and Floyd Mayweather.

But a potential 170-pound showdown with former featherweight and lightweight champion McGregor is realistically the biggest fight to make in MMA.

“Conor is not always gonna be around,” Masvidal told FanSided’s Mark Carman. “Whoever has the belt at the time will always be there. There will always be a 170-pound champion.

“What’s the big deal if this guy who’s been in the sport 16 years goes on and gets a pay cheque, huh? Fights to fight, because I’m fighting a killer, a two-time champion, a guy that’s a sniper with his left hand. And I’m also gonna make a pay cheque.

“So what’s the problem with that? There isn’t a problem with that. It’s just some casual fans, the guys who have been watching the sport for three years, maybe five tops, and they think they’re diehard fans, my fans. No.”

The 35-year-old Masvidal (35-13) went 0-2 in 2017 before taking a year off to recharge, and returned to the octagon with a bang in March, knocking out former welterweight contender Darren Till.

He then knocked out Ben Askren in five seconds – a UFC record – with a spectacular flying knee that went viral on social media and caught mainstream attention.

“I’ve got 16 years I’ve been doing this,” he added. “My lineage goes way back. Before I was even being questioned about getting this title shot I had to go and get famous.

“You know how hard that was? I had to go viral before they even considered giving me the title. I wonder why. I don’t know the answers to that.”