UFC: Dustin Poirier says Jorge Masvidal ‘isn’t coming off the couch’ for Kamaru Usman title shot

Poirier reveals his teammate Masvidal kept training for welterweight champion even after negotiations broke down last month

‘Jorge was still in the gym every day like he had a fight … we put in five weeks of sparring together’

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Dustin Poirier (left) with Jorge Masvidal at the American Top Team gym in Florida. Photo: Instagram

Published: 12:23pm, 8 Jul 2020Updated: 12:31pm, 8 Jul 2020

Jorge Masvidal may have taken Sunday’s UFC 251 main event against Kamaru Usman on six days’ notice, but “Gamebred” may be more prepared than he’s letting on.

“You know, it’s short notice because he didn’t have the contract signed, but let me tell you what, this guy was there my whole training camp, was my main sparring partner – we probably put in five weeks of sparring together,” Dustin Poirier told The Fight with Teddy Atlas.

Masvidal’s American Top Team teammate Poirier, who beat Dan Hooker at UFC Fight Night on June 27, revealed the Florida gym flew in “the best wrestlers in the world” for the 35-year-old to train with, despite negotiations for a welterweight title shot originally falling apart last month.

“I think they put them up, the guys in there, just for Jorge to use. The guy never stopped training. Even when the fight fell through and they gave it to [Gilbert] Burns and it was the end of my training camp, Jorge was still in the gym every day like he had a fight,” Poirier said.

Masvidal slid back into the “Fight Island” headliner on July 11 after Usman’s Sanford MMA teammate Burns tested positive for coronavirus in pre-fight screening in Las Vegas last weekend. The “BMF” champ said he will now make “very close” to his original asking price after UFC’s matchmakers had “lowballed” him the first time around.