Jorge Masvidal is still in the Conor McGregor sweepstakes. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, according to UFC President Dana White, a fight featuring the two could yet come to pass.
Speaking to The Menace and the Man Show (featuring former UFC fighter Dennis Bermudez), White addressed what could be next for Gamebred. And while a title shot against Kamaru Usman remains an option, a high-profile bout against Conor McGregor remains on the table as well.
“[Kamaru] Usman fight is the fight that makes sense,” White said initially. “It’s the fight that needs to happen if Masvidal wants a title shot. But there’s another interesting fight out there for him right now.”
When asked if that might involve McGregor, potentially on Fight Island, White called it a “very good point.”
“That’s a possibility, too,” he added.
McGregor (22-4) last fought in January at UFC 246, making short work of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone. It was McGregor’s first win since his 2018 defeat at the hands of Khabib Nurmagomedov, and his first combat sports victory of any kind since 2016.
At 31 years of age, McGregor still has a couple of prime fighting years left in him. But the number of fights he might take in that span remains to be seen. Every one will need to count, especially for the UFC, as it no doubt hopes to maximize the profits it can squeeze from the sport’s biggest star.
Masvidal (35-13) has landed at the top of the sport after a lengthy career in which many had written him off as a journeyman. However, a solid run in 2019 saw him finish Darren Till, Ben Askren, and Nate Diaz — with that final performance earning him the “BMF” belt.
Made-up title or not, the fight when over well with fans, and Masvidal suddenly has plenty of options before him. McGregor? Usman?
Originally, the plan was to have “Gamebred” and 170lb champ Usman throw down at UFC 252 — but those plans may have changed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
