Jorge Masvidal is a long way from his native Miami.
The UFC fighter recently traveled to Jordan, where he met with Prince Talal bin Muhammad, a member of the Jordanian royal family.
“Had the pleasure of meeting HRH Prince Talal. Who ever thought… from backyard fighting to meeting Royalty,” Masvidal wrote on Instagram.
Prince Talal, 57, is the younger brother of King Hussein of Jordan, as well as first cousin of the current King Abdullah, making him 14th in line of succession to the Jordanian throne. He is also the son of Prince Muhammad bin Talal, who was the heir-presumptive to his elder brother’s throne until 1962.
The UFC fighter also posted Instagram stories of himself at a shooting range on the palace grounds, and eating Mansaf, a traditional Jordanian and Palestinian dish made of lamb, spiced rice, and a sauce of fermented dried yogurt.
The sport of mixed martial arts has been gaining popularity in Jordan over the past few years, with more professional athletes emerging from the Middle Eastern nation. Ali Al-Qaisi became the first Jordanian athlete to compete in the UFC, though failed to record a victory during his tenure with the organization.
Other Jordanian fighters such as Jarrah Al-Silawy and Abdulkarim Al-Silawadi won the BRAVE CF light-welterweight and lightweight titles respectively, while Lina Fayyad, the only professional female MMA fighter in Jordan, continues to pave the way for future generations of women to compete in the sport.
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