UFC star Jorge Masvidal says he wants to challenge for the promotion’s welterweight title again but is also eyeing a fight with either of the Paul brothers.
Jake and Logan Paul are in Masvidal’s crosshairs after he got into a spat with Jake in the lead-up to his boxing match last month with Tyron Woodley.
Speaking to ESPN, Masvidal said he’d be interested in fighting either brother in the boxing ring.
“I’m gonna beat up all the Pauls,” Masvidal said. “If they put money in my pocket, that Logan Paul dude, Jake Paul, whoever Paul dudes – if they put money in my pocket, of course I’d like to break some Disney characters’ faces.
“I’ve been fighting men who have been training since seven, eight years-old to do the same thing to me what I want to do to them. Fighting guys like [the Pauls] is a bonus, man.”
Things blew up between Masvidal and Jake Paul when the Miami native picked Woodley to knock out the YouTuber ahead of their fight. Paul didn’t take too kindly to the prediction, especially since he got friendly with the UFC fighter when Masvidal gave him some tips in the lead up to his fight with Ben Askren.
However, Masvidal and Woodley have known each other for a decade. Both fighters represent American Top Team and have the same management firm, First Round Management.
“Who the f— is this Paul kid?” Masvidal said. “He thinks we’re friends, because I gave him some advice in the Ben Askren fight. Get the f— out of here, bro. I’ll slap you and whoever the f— you want, bro. I’m a fighter. Of course you’re gonna get offended.”
Masvidal, 36, is still contracted to the promotion and is viewed as one of most popular fighters in the UFC. President Dana White has said in the past he doesn’t think much of the Paul brothers’ foray into boxing, which led the younger Paul brother to tee off on White and his company. Yet Masvidal believes there would be enough interest in the fight to change White’s mind.
“UFC would have to sign off, but nothing is impossible,” Masvidal said. “Dana doesn’t like those guys and Dana knows I’ll go in there and put a hurting on those kids. Maybe he does send in the f—ing assassin.”
Masvidal says he’s not finished in the Octagon. The BMF belt holder will meet with UFC brass in the next two weeks to map out his future, and doesn’t have a preference on who he fights next, as long as it puts him on a path to another title shot following back-to-back losses to Kamaru Usman in UFC welterweight title fights.
“Ideal scenario – I walk into the office and they go, ‘This individual can get you closer to the title than any other individual,'” Masvidal said. “And I go, ‘Give me that individual.’ And they offer it to me with a lot of money behind it.
“All these guys are corny. I don’t give a f— about them. I want to go for the title again. Whatever it takes to get to that title – whatever opponent, whatever threat, challenge. Whatever they want to come up for me to deal with it, I’m there to do it.”
A rematch of the original BMF fight against Nate Diaz in the future is also something Masvidal would consider. But he said he would also love to tango with the older Diaz brother, Nick, who fights Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 on September 25 in Las Vegas.
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