"Poor little Chandler" - Jorge Masvidal not optimistic about a potential fight against Conor McGregor
From before his boxing fight with Nate Diaz in July, Jorge Masvidal has made it clear that he intends to return to the UFC soon. Two months after the fight, 'Gamebred' has ramped up his conversations on coming out of retirement and is beginning to eye potential opponents.
In an interview with MMA Fighting released on Sept. 5, Masvidal firmly ruled out a matchup with Conor McGregor in his return fight, citing the Irishman's unreliability. The 39-year-old said McGregor "backed out" of fighting Michael Chandler too much for him to believe that he will fight again soon.
Masvidal said:
"Conor is under no circumstances fighting me. He's backed out of fighting poor little Chandler I don't know how many times. Imagine me; nah, he's never fighting me. He can't do enough cocaine to f****** get riled up and fight me."
Check out Jorge Masvidal's comments below (starting from 9:19):
Masvidal and McGregor have gone back and forth in the past, particularly after the former rose to superstardom in 2019. While many fighters have called out 'The Notorious' in his career, McGregor has seemed to have a genuine distaste for Masvidal.
Jorge Masvidal calls for a fight with Michael Chandler instead of Conor McGregor
Jorge Masvidal does not see himself fighting Conor McGregor in what would be the biggest fight of his career but could see himself facing Michael Chandler in his return to the UFC. After ruling out 'The Notorious,' Masvidal told MMA Fighting that he would not mind a matchup with Chandler.
'Gamebred' mentioned that he is already in discussions with Hunter Campbell of the UFC for a potential fight in December and predicts that he will knock Chandler "dead."
Masvidal said:
"[I could return] this year. It could be Vegas, December seventh. I'll knock Michael Chandler dead on his a**. [Or] it could be next year [during the] Super Bowl. Knock somebody else on their a**. I don't know."
Check out Jorge Masvidal's comments below:
Masvidal has not fought in the UFC since losing to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April 2023. He announced his retirement in the cage after the loss, saying he did not feel like himself anymore in the cage.