Jorge Masvidal has claimed that Conor McGregor will avoid fighting him as it will damage his brand.
McGregor is expected to return to the Octagon this year with his most likely option being via The Ultimate Fighter competition, where he has revealed he was offered a slot as a coach. The Irishman has been out of action since breaking his leg in July 2021 but has since piled on the pounds which has opened the door to a return at 170lb.
This has also paved the way for a potential pay-per-view mega-fight with Masvidal, who has stated his intentions to make the showdown but has previously lacked president Dana White's blessing. And the 38-year-old has suggested that he is stylistically a problem for McGregor given his striking power.
"I want Conor, but Conor doesn’t want me," Masvidal told the MMA Hour when assessing the chances of a potential clash with McGregor. "It sucks, you know? He just doesn’t want it. Every time the UFC’s brought it up, he shoots it down. I don’t know why. I think I’m bigger. I think I’m quicker than him, and we both know I hit harder than him — so I get it.
"Stylistically, it’s not the best for him or his brand, you know? Not only am I going to beat the f****** brakes off of him, but I’m going to do it in a way that’s not good for his brand. I’m going to do it on my feet, you know?"
UFC kingpin White has previously downplayed the possibility of two of his biggest stars colliding over the size difference between the pair, but the gap has now been significantly closed since McGregor's injury recovery. There are a whole host of tests which are set to be more favourable for Masvidal's rival which could include Michael Chandler.
Who wins if the pair did fight - Conor McGregor or Jorge Masvidal? Let us know in the comments section below.
Tony Ferguson has also emerged as a potential comeback rival, making his claim to appear as the opposition if McGregor does choose to appear on The Ultimate Fighter. Despite the call-out, Masvidal would likely be the favourable opponent for fans who would be keen to see a high-profile clash.
Masvidal previously claimed that McGregor has rejected multiple offers to stage the fight. "Every time McGregor has ever tweeted at Jorge, I always pick up the phone," his manager, Malik Kawa, told the MMA Hour. "I call and say, 'Hey Conor, what's good? Do you want that fight?'. They say, 'Yeah, he doesn't want that fight', and they say it every single time and it never fails.
"Listen, I don't know if that is real or not, but I know that they have said they have tried to make that fight but Conor won't take it. You hear Dana saying that Masvidal is too big for him and all that kind of stuff, and that is the end of that story. So, if they want to make that fight, our end would accept that fight and we are all in."
