Masvidal ‘Definitely Unretired,’ Will Box In 2024

Don’t call it a comeback for Jorge Masvidal.

In totality, the man known as “Gamebred” never left the combat sports scene. Masvidal, 39, announced his retirement from active competition as a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter at UFC 287 in April 2023.

Masvidal (35-17) shared the news in his post-fight interview after a fourth straight loss when he found himself on the wrong end of a unanimous decision against Gilbert Burns. Since then, the inaugural Baddest Motherf—ker (BMF) champion has put on boxing and MMA events through his Gamebred Bareknuckle promotion. However, the itch to compete is still there, and after recently teasing his return, Masvidal is indeed going to compete again.

“I never just text to talk,” Masvidal told FanSided. “Everything I do I back it up, 100 percent go for it. I’m definitely unretired. I’m definitely gonna hurt some people. I’m definitely gonna box this year and s—t, I just want to get in the best shape possible. Get in that cage again and give it all I got.

“I can’t go out on a f—king L,” he continued. “The more I think about it, it f—king haunts me and hurts me. So, I’m definitely coming back just to f—king rearrange somebody’s face, or faces.”

Before Masvidal fights again, he’ll continue to promote, and next on the schedule is an event headlined by the inaugural Gamebred Bareknuckle Heavyweight title fight, pitting former UFC champion, Junior dos Santos, against his fellow veteran, Alan Belcher. The event goes down in Orlando, Florida this weekend (Sat., March 2, 2024). Each man will make their second walk to the Gamebred Bareknuckle cage on the night after successful decision victories against Fabricio Werdum for dos Santos and Roy Nelson for Belcher, respectively.