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Jorge Masvidal knocks Ben Askren out with a flying knee in a record-breaking five seconds at the T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas in 2019. Photo: USA Today
Martial ArtsMixed Martial Arts

UFC 251: Jorge Masvidal says Dana White will ‘treat me accordingly moving forward’ after ‘lowballing’ him

  • ‘Gamebred’ says he will make ‘very close’ to what he wanted after taking Fight Island headliner on six days’ notice
  • Masvidal laments being ‘undercut’ by UFC president White and matchmakers in original negotiations for Kamaru Usman bout
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)
Andrew McNicol
Andrew McNicol
Why you can trust SCMP

Jorge Masvidal said he predicted the UFC would call him to arrange the short-notice replacement fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 251 this weekend.

Welterweight champion Usman’s (16-1) original opponent, Gilbert Burns, was taken off the Fight Island card headliner after testing positive for Covid-19. Masvidal, who had spent weeks in disagreement with the UFC over fighter pay, took the bout on six days’ notice.

“We had to break them down … but I’m gonna do my job and provide for me and my family. It’s not what I think I deserve, I see on paper what I bring in. We know what I deserve, so when they undercut and lowballed, [I said] let’s see what happens,” Masvidal (35-13) told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani.

“I told several people close to me, ‘Watch at the last moment, they’ll probably call me back, some craziness is gonna happen’. And sure enough, bam it happened,” said the 33-year-old Masvidal, who said he got “very close” to the payday he wanted.

“So moving forward from this fight, they’re going to treat me accordingly or I just step in last minute, six days to go and get it then, I guess.”

Before UFC president Dana White had confirmed the Usman vs Burns title fight, BMF champ Masvidal was confirmed for the next welterweight title fight against “The Nigerian Nightmare”.
White explained simply that “Burns wanted to fight” and had deserved it after beating former champion Tyron Woodley, while Masvidal continued to ask for a “bigger percentage of revenue” from his fights.
“If the relationship would have messed up or [got] better, it doesn’t matter because I’m speaking from the heart,” said Masvidal, who broke a promotion record last July after knocking Ben Askren out in five seconds.

“I don’t like Dana undercutting me by saying, ‘Yeah, Gilbert this and that, definitely deserves the fight’ when they promised me the fight before the Ben Askren fight. They told me, ‘If you beat Ben, you get the title shot’. Well I did that, and beat Nate [Diaz] and I still don’t get the next title shot?”

Masvidal also revealed he had “never stopped training” despite learning they would overlook him for Burns last month. Usman insisted the same, warning fans not to be fooled by the “six days’ notice narrative”.

“If you’re asking me if I’m in shape, maybe not to fight Ben Askren. I’m not in Ben Askren shape because he’s a hell of a wrestler – or even Darren Till. But am I in shape for this bum I’m about to decapitate and baptise? Hell yeah,” he said.

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