"I would love to compete against him" - Jorge Masvidal is keen on fighting Stephen Thompson if he wins the welterweight title at UFC 261
Jorge Masvidal wants to avenge his UFC 217 loss to Stephen Thompson. Ahead of his forthcoming title match, 'Gamebred' revealed the chances of competing against 'Wonderboy' in the future.
Speaking to Adam Catterall from BT Sport, Jorge Masvidal revealed who the likely title challenger could be if he claims the belt on Saturday. Masvidal appears to be overlooking Colby Covington, who is Dana White's pick as the next title challenger. Instead, the fourth-ranked welterweight wants to run it back with Stephen Thompson.
"Colby [Covington] could be waiting for whatever the f*ck he wants. I call the shots... I might just slap him up today or tomorrow, you know. I don't know who is going to get the next title shot."
"Obviously, Stephen Thompson has a victory over me. I would love to compete against him, he is also in the top five. Colby will get his jaw broken. I'll say when it happens."
Jorge Masvidal fought and lost to Stephen Thompson via unanimous decision at UFC 217. Since their 2017 meeting, Masvidal has risen to massive stardom courtesy of his back-to-back knockout performances in 2019.
In their first encounter, Wonderboy put on a striking clinic against 'Gamebred'. It would be interesting to see how Masvidal would alter his game to defeat Thompson in a rematch.
Who is Stephen Thompson fighting next?
ESPN journalist Brett Okamoto recently reported that Stephen Thompson will lock horns with Gilbert 'Durinho' Burns next. As of now, the bout has not been confirmed by the promotion. However, the two gladiators are expected to fight at UFC 264 on July 10th.
In his last fight, Stephen Thompson won in dominant fashion against Geoff Neal. The coveted kickboxer claimed a unanimous decision over the rising prospect at UFC Fight Night 183. With two dominant consecutive wins on his resume, Wonderboy has made a strong case for becoming the next title challenger.
Meanwhile, Gilbert Burns is coming off a third-round TKO loss to Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. Burns has ascended to the helm of the division with an impeccable record since his leap to welterweight. With a strong background in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, combined with his lethal striking, Burns stands a good chance of defeating the kickboxing ace on July 10th.