In a surprising twist of events, Jorge Masvidal is poised to make a remarkable move from the octagon to the boxing ring.
Jorge Masvidal made headlines when he officially announced his retirement after a defeat to Gilbert Burns at UFC 287 in April. This loss marked his fourth consecutive setback, with prior defeats to Colby Covington and Kamaru Usman. Ahead of the bout, the Miami native had publicly stated that he would retire if he lost, and true to his word, he chose to step away from mixed martial arts.
Yet, the allure of combat sports continues to draw Masvidal in a new direction. Since his retirement, he has been actively involved in organizing and promoting events under his Gamebred Promotions banner. During this journey, he tantalized fans by hinting at his intention to venture into the realm of professional boxing. The prospect of Masvidal potentially taking on the Paul brothers, with their immense fan base, has piqued substantial interest in the combat sports community.
In a recent interview with ESPN, Jorge Masvidal confirmed that he is indeed preparing for a boxing comeback, slated for early 2024. While he hasn’t disclosed the identity of his boxing opponent, this return to the ring will mark his first boxing bout since his victory over Joseph Benjamin in 2005.
Masvidal emphatically stated, “Yes, it’s a yes. My yes is a yes and my no is a no, and I’m telling you that’s a yes. I’ll tell you this much, it’s not this year. It’s not this year. No names right now, but I can tell you it’s early next year.”
And in a teaser that’s sure to stoke intrigue and excitement among fans, Masvidal declared, “I can tell you somebody’s going to get killed. Just boom, in your face.”
This is surprising because Masvidal inked a new UFC contract a year before retiring meaning that his UFC contract is likely still active – which means he would have to secure UFC’s approval to parttake in any such venture.