After Jorge had that big year and was one of the high profile personalities, I was listening to a podcast with a high profile boxing trainer and Masvidal was the topic of discussion. The topic turned to fighters and the trappings of fame and when they suddenly become an overnight sensation. This trainer observed Jorge and had some interaction with him and flat out said that he can’t handle it.
“I’ll tell you right now, Leon, I will whoop your fcking ass,” Masvidal said. “Let’s fcking go. I don’t know maybe Dec. 7 in Vegas, maybe next year at the Super Bowl. I don’t know but I’ll beat the f*ck out of your little skinny ass.”
Of course, Edwards hasn’t fought since falling to Muhammad in July, although he’s hinted at a potential return before the end of the year.
While he didn’t have any skin in the game during that welterweight title fight, Masvidal confessed that he was incredibly impressed by Muhammad, who effectively shut down Edwards for the majority of the five-round fight.
Muhammad has now gone undefeated in 11 consecutive fights and Masvidal had nothing but praise for the new UFC welterweight champion.
“For starters, Belal has [improved] so much since I first saw him,” Masvidal said. “I saw him fight live before in the UFC and it’s like he’s not the best athlete, he doesn’t have the craziest skill set. But slowly but surely, this guy just got better and better and better. There’s a lot of times where I was like he’s not beating that guy. Wrong! He beat the f*ck out of that guy. He did that multiple times.
“Now to see him as the champion, I think he’s one of the guys that’s improved drastically the most. Truly amazing. Great journey.”
That is if UFC re-signs him in the first place, which is something former two-time title challenger Chael Sonnen believes will not happen.
“Now here we are, and I don’t predict for you that they’re gonna make that fight [Masvidal vs. Leon Edwards]. In fact, quite the opposite,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I don’t predict for you anybody at the age of 40 is going to get signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, including, if it’s a re-signing right, for a guy that’s coming back, I think of a guy who exhausts his contract, even on a winning streak, but along the way past 40. Thank you very much for your time. That’s what I think. But there’s not an actual rule that says otherwise.”
Sonnen admits that while he believes UFC will not bring Masvidal back, the storyline between the original Baddest Motherf—ker (BMF) and Leon Edwards could be too good for the UFC to pass up. “Even if it’s one night, and even if it’s in a checkers move, in a game of chess, where it’s got to have a return on investments, it’s got to have reasons, and you got to this fight carries to something else. You’re right. That is the way it’s done,” Sonnen said. “So, if we are discussing Leon and Masvdial and we’re trying to figure out why trying to justify it, and how exactly did we get here? Is it fun? Is it something I would like to see, I will just remind you three piece and a soda that should answer the question you.”
While Masivdal isn’t the draw he once was, and he’s older, that hasn’t stopped UFC CEO Dana White and co. from booking over-the-hill fighters. If there is money to be made, “Gamebred” will fight in the UFC again.