Jorge Masvidal’s heart sank as he placed the BMF belt on Justin Gaethje’s shoulder at UFC 291 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The reason for his glum demeanor was not only witnessing Gaethje knocking out his friend and American Top Team training partner Dustin Poirier, but also losing a six-figure bet he had placed on Poirier for their epic rematch.
The bout started with an intense first round, with both competitors displaying their skills. But just one minute into the second round, Gaethje delivered a sneaky head kick that caught Poirier off guard and knocked him out cold. Masvidal had bet $100,000 on Poirier’s victory.
When TNT Sports questioned Masvial about his post-retirement activities, he disclosed the failed wager. He said: “Promoting all the time — working out when I get a chance. Making wagers that I probably shouldn’t. I put a hundred thousand dollars on DP, on Dustin Poirier. Kids, I’m sorry. You gotta go to public school now.”
He acknowledged that Poirier seemed to be dictating the pace and landing better shots in the first round. However, fate had a different plan as Gaethje’s perfectly timed head kick changed the course of the match.
“I felt Dustin was dictating the pace, landed the better shots in the first round. It was all going Dustin’s way, and then the fight game, you know? Justin looked down and came up with a head kick and he caught my boy. It was a perfect kick.”
Masvidal went on to say: “Dustin actually kind of saw some of it because he had his hand up, but he didn’t have both hands up so the kick wrapped around the back of his head and that was all she wrote. That was a hell of a shot. Dustin looked in the best shape ever, and obviously he’s my teammate so I wanted the world for him, I wanted him to win, you know?”
Despite the disappointment and the financial loss, Masvidal showed respect for Gaethje as a competitor. He praised Gaethje’s performance and the head kick that led to Poirier’s defeat. It was evident that Masvidal wanted nothing but the best for his teammate, even if it meant accepting the outcome with a heavy heart.
Masvidal said: “So, hats off to Justin, man. Great fight, great competitor … I’m just hurt. I wanted my boy to get that belt.”