Speaking to BetIdeas, former UFC star and Miami resident, Jorge Masvidal, has said Lionel Messi’s arrival has given the ‘stamp of approval’ of soccer’s growth in the city within Florida.
The American has warned Dana White to stay away from putting Conor McGregor on the White House UFC card, saying he’ll drop out like he usually does, and more.
Masvidal joked about not being ‘old enough’ to fight Jake Paul and claims Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis would be the most famous boxer ever if he even starches Paul, due to the height difference and other factors.
Read the full interview below:
Q: What has Lionel Messi coming to Miami done for the city?
JM: “We have a lot of good players from Miami, Florida. We were already on the soccer wave, so it was only right that Messi came here, where else would Messi go? He’s not gonna go to California or Chicago or New York, he’s gonna come to the place where soccer exploded the most. So he’s just riding the wave that’s already been here for soccer. Our mini soccer parks are all rented out from 11am to 11pm. I feel like it was already like that before Messi got here, so him getting here gave us more validation, the stamp of approval that we’re the best in the nation at soccer.”
Q: Does Messi have what it takes to compete in MMA?
JM: “He’s a phenomenal athlete, and one thing about him is he’s one of the most disciplined guys that’s ever walked the face of the earth. He’s in crazy good shape, but fighting is fighting, right? But yeah, definitely he could. With his mindset and his athletic gifts that God’s given him, if he got after it and pursued it for a good amount of time. I’m sure he could do some things.”
Q: No pay-per-view points anymore, good or a bad thing for fighters?
JM: “Guys like me, I got to make my bigger paychecks off pay-per-view. What’s the metric now? I’m really interested and eager to see those numbers, and make sure that we’re finally taken care of, because there’s a billion dollars a year getting given out. That means no fighter should ever, in their life, have to have a part-time job, or some side gig, or any of that. Everybody should be taken care of, especially if you’re in the top 15. I hate hearing about my brothers and sisters that are ranked fighters, and they’re still having to work a full-time job to keep their benefits so they can take care of their family, that shit is over with.”
Q: What about fight night bonuses?
JM: “I figure it’s about that damn time that $50,000 bonus bullshit changes. How much longer is it gonna be 50 f****** thousand dollars. TVs have gone from black and white to in-color to 4K to now some crazy s***, and we still got the $50,000 bonus. Trump is president again, and we still got $50,000 bonuses. It should be $100,000 or $150,000, come on, f***** inflation, buddy. It’s been f****** $50,000 for 20 years. The f*** Dana?”
Q: Does the fire still burn to compete?
JM: “This White House thing came about and that lit a f****** fire like never before, I’ve just been training twice a day, every day, eating right, trying to go to sleep right, and I don’t have a date, I don’t have nothing, the fight’s far away, so I’m just thinking, this is the right thing to get me in there, to get me riled up, so I’m talking to the UFC, my management’s talking to them, to maybe do something. This White House card, that’s all I wanna do. I don’t care about anything else. I gotta talk to my boy Donald Trump.”
Q: Who is the right opponent?
JM: “I wouldn’t mind beating the f****** brakes off Colby’s bitch-ass, snitch-ass Covington. Just bust him up just one more time real quick. That’d be good, I wouldn’t mind that. America’s 250th birthday in the White House, a migrant like me, I’mma take over that shit. They’re not even gonna know what hit them, and then after that, I’m gonna go run for president, because what the f***? I’m in the White House, right? Who the f*** would’ve even thought that I would make it to the White House? I can’t stop dreaming there, I can’t sell myself short. After I whoop Colby right then and there, I’m gonna declare it. I’m running for next president of the United States of America.”
Q: Conor McGregor wants $100 million plus American citizenships for his friends and family. Is he pricing himself out?
JM: “Why would they even consider having Conor McGregor on the White House card? He’s been saying he’s going to fight for four years now. I feel like at this point, they know Conor’s going to pull out, and they’re just getting everyone to buy into the hype before he pulls out three weeks before. I don’t see Conor getting in and doing anything. He’s having a good time doing cocaine, and it’s not that fun to go to the gym and put in the work—to get your ass kicked day in and day out, to run those miles, swim those laps, and have your coaches telling you what time to wake up. He doesn’t want that lifestyle; he’d rather fight at bars. The guy had a great career, but this bullshit about him coming back—I’ve been hearing this idiot say that for four or five years and then cancel. Just shut the f***k up. Hell no, the card does not need him.”
Q: Does Lerone Murphy beat Alexander Volkanovski?
JM: “Lerone Murphy beats Volkanovski, and that’ll be one of the few times that I vote against Volkanovski. Right now, I got Leon. I really think this guy’s a special talent. In the UK, Paddy is a whole movie, he’s pure entertainment, he’s super entertaining. But this guy, Lerone, when it comes to the cage and stuff, this guy’s as cold as it gets. I think he is one of the best guys in England – him and Aspinall. They gotta be the best guys out in England.”
Q: Thoughts on Terence Crawford vs. Ilia Topuria?
JM: “I’m leaning towards Terence Crawford beating Ilia Topuria, but if there’s one guy who could beat a boxer, it’s my boy Ilia. It won’t be easy, it’s a tall mountain, but if anyone can do it, it’s Ilia.”
Q:Thoughts on Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis?
JM: “I’m actually going to tune into this one. I just hope it’s nothing weird like a hugfest or something, I’m just hoping it’s a damn good fucking fight. It’s a spectacle, for sure, it’s a circus show, for sure. But it’s combat, right? And I love it. You could be small as hell, but if your timing is good he could shock the whole world. Let’s pretend he starches Jake Paul, which could happen, he’d be the most famous boxer that probably ever lived. Whatever they were paying him now, you’re gonna have to triple that shit. It’ll be a fucking a movie for this guy after knocking out Jake. But I think Jake’s gonna win because he’s too big.”
Q: Could we ever see Jorge Masvidal vs. Jake Paul?
JM: “Seeing Dana White’s tune change on a couple of podcasts and stuff recently, maybe they’ll let me go and scrap Jake Paul, why not? But I don’t think I’m old enough to fight Jake yet. I think Jake needs his opponent to be either under 135 lbs or over 55 years old, so maybe in 15 years I can meet his qualifications to fight him.