While Jorge Masvidal didn’t get exactly what he asked for, he has come to terms with the UFC.
With Gilbert Burns out due to a positive COVID-19 test, Masvidal will step in on just six days’ notice to face welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in the UFC 251 headliner at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Masvidal (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC), who initially was thought to be the No. 1 contender earlier this year, was replaced by Burns after Masvidal’s negotiations with the UFC fell through.
He revealed that the UFC called when it needed a replacement for Burns and offered him a better deal that he agreed to.
“I didn’t get exactly what I wanted, but I got very, very close to it,” Masvidal told ESPN.
“I’m happy more than anything because I get to break this guy’s face and get paid for it. But one thing I’m not going to do, which I’ve done a long part of my career, is get underpaid. That’s not going to happen no more – not from here going forward.”
Masvidal has been vocal about his discontent toward fighter pay and his value in the organization, asking the UFC to release him if it didn’t think he was worth it.
He was unhappy with the first deal the UFC offered, mainly taking issue with how much he was going to make from pay-per-view points.
“The initial deal … was a (expletive) deal on the pay-per-view end and on the guarantee side, so I have two negatives,” Masvidal said. “I could understand you don’t want to give me that much on the guaranteed (money). But on the pay-per-view, what I bring in, what people purchase, I want more money on that – and they weren’t budging, and that was that. So all this craziness had to happen for them to come to their senses.”
After the fight was made official, Masvidal had a few hurdles to overcome. He flew to Las Vegas on Sunday to get tested for COVID-19 and had to quarantine in his room all night. He passed the test and will fly to Abu Dhabi on Monday, where he will undergo further testing upon arrival.
Circumstances certainly are not ideal for Masvidal, who has been training, lifting weights and running, but not in a full training camp to face Usman. He revealed that he weighed 192 pounds Saturday, which means he’ll have 22 pounds to cut to make the welterweight title limit Friday.
It’s no secret Masvidal is not a fan of Usman and the build-up to this fight has been far from cordial. So it’s safe to say Masvidal is heading into the fight with bad intentions.
“(I’m) cold-blooded as can be,” Masvidal said on how he thinks he’ll beat Usman. “His body is grasping for air as I’ve got my hand raised over him. I’m just going to baptize him, man, for the world to see. It’s going to be violent.”