The Takedown | UFC: Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz trash talk super unnecessary for ‘BMF’ press conference
- UFC stars show each other respect in New York, with bad blood not needed to hype ‘BMF’ fight at Madison Square Garden
- With 10,000 tickets already sold, it’s refreshing to see trash talk put to the side for once
Considering they are soon fighting to be the “baddest [expletive] in the game”, Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal were awfully composed at the UFC 244 pre-fight press conference in New York on Thursday night.
Much to the disappointment of those who enjoy stirring the pot, the two veterans displayed respect for each other in what was the start of the build-up to the battle for the “BMF” title belt at Madison Square Garden on November 2.
“[Diaz] is a different calibre to the other guys, I’ve seen him pull through”, said Miami’s Masvidal (34-13), who channelled Tony Montana and Scarface in a 1980s-style white and red suit.
“I’ll give it my all, whatever it takes. If it’s a buffet, whatever it is – I’m here,” added the 31-year-old, who has become a bit of a walking sound bite during his unexpected rise to stardom. He served Ben Askren the “MGM grand buffet” with the fastest ever UFC knockout in July, and gave Leon Edwards the “three piece and a soda” backstage at UFC London, after knocking out Darren Till in March.
The 34-year-old Diaz (20-11) was similarly poised. “When the guy on the other side wants to hurt you, that’s motivating enough,” he said, smiling. “There’s really not a lot of trash going on. I’m just glad to have a worthy opponent and a worthy venue to be in.”