Neil Magny won’t be surprised if Jorge Masvidal ends up fighting for the UFC welterweight title next.
Champion Leon Edwards (20-3 MMA, 12-2 UFC) is expected to meet Kamaru Usman in a trilogy, but the bout has yet to be confirmed, raising speculation about whether Usman might be injured. If Usman is not ready, Magny sees Masvidal (35-16 MMA, 12-9 UFC) as the UFC’s next choice, despite being on a three-fight losing skid.
Although Magny meets Gilbert Burns on Jan. 21 at UFC 283, it was Masvidal who was first linked to a bout with Burns before “Durinho” decided to move on. Magny understands Masvidal’s reluctance to fight Burns, claiming that he could potentially be in the title race considering his history with Edwards.
“At the end of the day, one of the biggest things about combat sports right now is the fact that it’s a viewership sport,” Magny told Sportskeeda. “I mean, it shows with boxing and others sports, where if guys are able to sell pay-per-views and put on a good show, that’s the fight to make.
“So right now, with all the speculation going around, whether Usman’s going to fight in March or not, I can definitely see Masvidal swooping in and having a third title shot even though he’s coming off three losses.”
Masvidal attacked Edwards backstage when they both competed at a UFC London event in March 2019. Edwards has been eager to get his revenge and even contemplated making his first title defense against Masvidal, who campaigned for a fight as soon as Edwards became champion.
A potential hold-up to booking any Masvidal fight could be his ongoing legal issues.
Masvidal was detained and arrested by Miami Beach (Fla.) police on March 23 for allegedly attacking Colby Covington outside a restaurant. He has a pre-trial hearing set for Feb. 15, with an anticipated trial date of Feb. 27.
If found guilty, Masvidal could face up to 15 years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine for second-degree felony aggravated battery with additional penalties possible for criminal mischief charge.