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Fans saw the last of Jorge Masvidal at UFC 287 in early April. After losing to Gilbert Burns to compile his fourth straight defeat, “Gamebred” announced his retirement after 20 years as a professional fighter.
“I don’t feel the same way when I get in here no more. It’s been 20 long years. I love all of you. UFC came here 20 years ago, and it inspired me to chase this dream for 20 years and 50-something fights later,” he told Joe Rogan during the Octagon interview.
Masvidal opened the door for a comeback
At least based on recent history, such retirement announcements won’t stick. It has yet to be seen whether the 38-year-old veteran will stick to his plans, but in a recent interview with ESPN, he left the door ajar for a possible return.
“I love this sport so f—ing much, bro. So, I’ll never say I’ll never come back, because I love it so much, in a moment I can have so many great memories that just fill me and will stay with me forever about this sport.
“So, I’ll never say I can’t come back.”
Daniel Cormier advises Jorge Masvidal to stay retired
UFC Hall-of-Famer and former double-champ Daniel Cormier recently spoke about the situation. As he told ESPN co-host Ryan Clark during their weekly show, a comeback may not be a good idea for the former “BMF” champ.
“If you are a guy that for a long time has kind of been okay… Like Masvidal is a fantastic mixed martial artist, but he hasn’t ever been the best in the world,” Cormier said (quotes by MMA News).
“If you haven’t ever been the best in the world and you start to hang around too long, it only gets worse. We have seen it time and time again where those guys that are kind of good, but not in the best state, they end up getting knocked out.
For Cormier, Masvidal already had his storybook ending, fighting his last fight in front of his hometown crowd in Miami.
“I think this is one of his best cases. Fighting one of the best in the world in front of your home fans and not getting absolutely demolished. He should stay away from the game.”
What’s next for Jorge Masvidal?
Masvidal is still involved in the fight game through his very own Gamebred Promotions. Gamebred Boxing 4, which took place in April and featured a high-profile matchup between Roy Jones Jr. and Anthony Pettis, supposedly did well, financially with a reported total payout of $2.8 million for all competitors on the card.
Gamebred Promotions is now preparing for a bare-knuckle MMA event, which features UFC veteran and TUF alum Roy Nelson and BKFC alum Dillon Cleckler as headliners. The event takes place on May 5th in Sunrise, Florida.
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