"Is he a top five guy?" - Jorge Masvidal explains why he's not interested in fighting Khamzat Chimaev
Fan favorite UFC fighter Jorge Masvidal has said he is not interested in fighting fellow welterweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev, despite several MMA fans wanting the matchup to happen.
Masvidal is currently ranked No.7 in the UFC's 170-pound weight class, while Chimaev is No.10. 'Gamebred' fought champion Kamaru Usman for the belt in his last two bouts. 'Borz', on the other hand, is unbeaten in his professional MMA career so far.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Masvidal stressed that at this point in his career he wants to fight top-five welterweight contenders and stay in the title picture. On being asked if a Chimaev encounter looked good to him, he said:
"Is he a top five guy? Nope. I will just fight guys in the top five right now. Also for Nate, is he a top five guy? Nope. You know what I am saying like that is how I roll. I'm just trying to fight the world's best. Nah? What am I doing! You know what I'm saying. Why am I gonna fight The Ultimate Fighter winners. No offense to those guys. There are some great guys up and coming from there. But I want something more to fight for."
Watch Jorge Masvidal in conversation with Ariel Helwani below:
Khamzat Chimaev has scored six knockouts and four submission victories in 10 fights. He is reportedly set to square off against No.2 contender Gilbert Burns next in January.
Jorge Masvidal has pulled out of the UFC 269 bout against Leon Edwards due to an undisclosed injury
Jorge Masvidal was scheduled to take on No.3-ranked Leon Edwards at UFC 269 on December 11. However, he withdrew from the bout last week after suffering an undisclosed injury.
Edwards, who is considered by many to be next in line for a shot at Usman's welterweight title, is not too interested in waiting for Masvidal.
Jorge Masvidal (@GamebredFighter) vs. Leon Edwards (@Leon_edwardsmma) is off UFC 269 on Dec. 11, UFC's Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell tells ESPN. Undisclosed injury for Masvidal. No word yet on whether it will be rebooked or UFC will move on. es.pn/3wBef3h
The winner of the potential Burns vs. Chimaev clash could also be handed the next title shot.