Daniel Cormier isn’t certain Jorge Masvidal ought to come again.
The 39-year-old former ‘BMF’ champion retired from MMA in April of 2023 after shedding to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287, however returned to fight sports activities this previous July when he confronted Nate Diaz in a boxing match that Diaz finally gained. However that loss appeared to inspire Masvidal, who introduced earlier this week he’s in talks with the UFC to return to the promotion within the close to future.
Nevertheless, UFC Corridor of Famer and commentator Cormier questions if Masvidal ought to return.
“Jorge Masvidal must be counseled for doing what he did to succeed in the degrees of stardom that he did, as a result of if you have a look at his profession as an entire, you actually do see a man that spent the overwhelming majority of his prime, the overwhelming majority of his youth, as a middling fighter,” Cormier stated on his YouTube channel. “He simply was. It’s what it’s. That’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s what it was…
“Have a look at the names on his résumé. On the finish of the day, if you have a look at the profession as an entire, it boils down to at least one 12 months the place Jorge Masvidal made you guys care, and it made him a star. However my query to you now could be: Do you continue to care? As a result of that’s what he’s banking on…
“He has misplaced his final 4 MMA fights, [and] he misplaced a boxing match. He stated he’ll come again, starch any person and the UFC could be begging him to combat for a championship. My query to you is, do you care now? Do you care such as you did in 2019? Do you care such as you did when he was on that incredible run when he made himself from a man that was middling, from a man that was a little bit of a journeyman, right into a primary occasion attraction? He and Kamaru Usman offered a boatload of pay-per-views. However do you care at this time, in 2024, to see Jorge Masvidal come again and combat somebody?”
As Cormier famous, Masvidal got here to superstardom late into his profession. A veteran of over 50 skilled fights, Masvidal broke out in 2019 with wins over Darren Until and Ben Askren, the latter being the quickest knockout in UFC historical past, earlier than then profitable the inaugural ‘BMF’ title over Diaz at UFC 244. That ended up being the ultimate victory of his MMA profession, no less than to date, as “Gamebred” then dropped 4 straight bouts earlier than retiring.
On condition that run of type and his age, plus the character of his stardom, Cormier merely isn’t certain Masvidal attracts an enormous quantity of curiosity from followers proper now.
“In 2019 he did one thing I’ve by no means seen somebody do in combating earlier than,” Cormier stated. “…It is a man that began the start of his UFC profession not excellent, and no one cared. However he finally made himself right into a primary occasion man. Can we care to see him at this time? Or will we care to see him at this time in opposition to somebody that’s an enormous title? Is that the one approach you’d care? As a result of to me, if Jorge Masvidal comes again, it must be in opposition to somebody that’s a enjoyable combat. As a result of proper now, he’s not combating as competitively as he was…
“I can inform you proper now, if Nate Diaz have been to say, ‘I’m coming again,’ folks would get excited. Are Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal held in the identical regard?”
Whether or not followers will care stays to be seen however Masvidal definitely appears to assume they’ll. He threw out the potential for combating Michael Chandler, ought to his theoretical combat with Conor McGregor not come to go, however largely he’s completely happy to combat anybody as long as the paycheck is appropriate. And for all Cormier’s uncertainty round whether or not Masvidal attracts curiosity anymore, the previous two-division champion admits ought to it occur, he will definitely be tuning in, he simply form of hopes it gained’t occur.
“I’d watch him combat, completely… However my query is, do you care? … He’s 39 years outdated now,” Cormier stated. “His finest days appear to be behind him, misplaced 4 in a row. Can he recreate what he did earlier than?…
“I imagine with the work he was doing exterior of the octagon, his promotion appears to be doing nicely, and I used to be completely happy to see him stroll away.”
