Jorge Masvidal may be stuck on the sidelines as his legal issues work themselves out, but he’s confident he’ll see the inside of a UFC cage again before 2022 is over.
“This year, I’ll guaranteed return,” Masvidal told ESPN Deportes this week in Spanish (h/t MMA Junkie for English translation). I don’t yet know the date. With two fights I believe I could be in contention to win the title, or in a fight for a title.
“There are options, but the first thing that matters is me — to be in the best condition of my life, to improve the fight. Everybody knows I’m able to throw kicks and hands. They know they cannot beat me with their arms, so they must throw me in the fight. This is something I need to work on and figure out the .”
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Masvidal is currently dealing with the aftermath of his alleged attack on Colby Covington. Following the pair’s grudge match at UFC 272, which Covington won via unanimous decision, Masvidal allegedly assaulted his former friend and teammate outside of a Miami Beach steakhouse on March 21 in an incident that Covington has alleged left him with a brain injury.
Masvidal has since pled not guilty to charges of aggravated battery and criminal mischief, while Covington has declined to publicly comment on the case. The UFC star is slated to return to court in August, with a plea hearing set for Aug. 17 and a potential trial scheduled to begin Aug. 29.
In the meantime, however, “Gamebred” has been the target of attention from plenty of his fellow UFC welterweights, receiving recent callouts from the likes of Stephen Thompson and Michel Pereira, among others. At times, the 37-year-old Masvidal has also been linked to another name stuck on the sidelines: Former two-division champion Conor McGregor. Masvidal isn’t sure McGregor will be available to take on McGregor, despite the fact that McGregor’s return date from his injury remains uncertain.
“He is false. He knows that I am a man who hits hard and that I come to kill. Masvidal stated that he does not like to be hugged in a cage. Masvidal said, “I will give all I have to him. I have a little size, although now he’s shooting up and putting steroids and all kinds of things (in his body), but he is still a little boy.
” I would love to compete at 170 lbs, but that’s not something I can wait for. If he wants to do it, I’ll break his face. Let someone else come next if he refuses to do it.
