Opinion: Jorge Masvidal is UFC's breakout star of 2019
With UFC 244 in the record books, UFC welterweight and reigning BMF champion, Jorge Masvidal, became one of the most talked-about MMA figures in the year of 2019. Since the fallout of one of the most anticipated bouts in UFC history where Gamebred faced off against the popular Nate Diaz, despite the fight itself ending in such controversial fashion with a referee stoppage, one cannot overlook the dominating performance Masvidal had during the highly-competitive bout. Furthermore, throughout the year of 2019, he has solidified himself as a major top contender in the UFC rankings, as some may even argue that he is one of the best welterweight fighters in MMA right now.
Masvidal to his credit has always been looked upon as a serious competitor, but his prior knockout victory against fellow welterweight Ben Askren was what elevated him as a major star in the UFC.
In this year alone, as someone who's fought three UFC fights and eventually went on to be victorious in all of them, there's a reason why he could be argued as this year's breakout star of the UFC considering the impact he's had in 2019. And because he's earned that title, Masvidal could very well be on his way to a potential welterweight championship fight soon. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Gamebred going after the winner of the Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington fight for the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 245.
With Masvidal having his best professional year, his success may continue due to the ability he possesses. As the UFC has been given a new breed of breakout stars as of late with the rise of fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Colby Covington, Henry Cejudo and Israel Adesanya, now Masvidal in his own right can be lumped in with that crew of fighters to look out for and be invested in.
Masvidal has had much success throughout his overall career, as he's also known for his longevity in the fighting game. Since 2003, Masvidal has earned an impressive 35 wins to 11 losses. 12 of those wins came from the UFC and he has endured only four losses.
With Masvidal's career souring at an all-time high and arguably at the prime of his career, will he achieve the same success in 2020? At the moment, it looks like Gamebred could continue to add more five-star performances to his already impressive fighting career.