Jorge Masvidal says he will fight in 2020

Jorge Masvidal is currently embroiled in a heated contract dispute with the UFC, but he says he intends on fighting in 2020 nonetheless.

Masvidal was expected to be given the next crack at UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, but demanded a pay bump after a banner year in 2019. Evidently, the UFC was unwilling to play ball, as the promotion ultimately awarded the next welterweight title shot to Gilbert Burns, leaving Masvidal without a fight.

With Usman and Burns set to fight at UFC 251 on July 11, it’s not clear what the future holds for Masvidal. That being said, he recently divulged during a Q&A with fans on his official YouTube channel that he does intend to fight this year—provided the UFC makes it worth his while.

https://youtu.be/mtLNhSRSOSM

“Yeah I’m gonna fight this year,” Masvidal said (transcript via MMA Junkie). “God willing, I’m gonna fight this year. What’s not gonna happen is I’m not gonna be played or underpaid, that’s for sure. I have a value, a formula we’ve come up with for what I’m worth, and that comes off 16 years of doing this, of seeing the field in and out. I’m not some rookie, I’m not some guy challenging for the title for the first time in my life.

“I’ve been in this position before in different organizations and stuff and we know how to calculate what I bring in and I want a fair share of what I bring in. … It’s about how much I want to receive from the pay-per-view, how much share I want from the PPV, that’s one of the many things I’m fighting about. I don’t feel that that cut is fair and I don’t agree with it.”

Jorge Masvidal asserted himself as the next man in line for a welterweight title shot with an absolutely incredible run in 2019. He began the year by knocking out Darren Till, followed up with a record-breaking, five-second flying knee knockout of the formerly unbeaten Ben Askren, and capped off the year by defeating Nate Diaz in the first and only “BMF” title fight. He has not fought in 2020.

What do you think the future holds for fan favorite welterweight contender?