Jorge Masvidal eyeing UFC return after failed boxing foray

MMA veteran Jorge Masvidal has announced his intention to return to the UFC, after the fan-favourite fighter retired from the promotion in 2023.

Speaking in an interview this week, the 39-year-old detailed that he is busy training and would like to return late 2024 or early 2025.

“It could be this year,” said Masvidal of his UFC return.

“It could be Vegas, December 7th.

“I’ll f***ing drop Michael Chandler dead on his ass.

“It could be next year, Super Bowl, knock somebody else on their ass.

“I don’t know. I don’t quite know yet. I’m going to review all my options.

“I’m going to see all my options, see what the money looks like too.

“I’ve been talking to my boy Hunter Campbell.

“First, we’ll lock in the date. Lock in that date and then we’ll find the body.”

After parting ways with the UFC following a loss to Gilbert Burns in April 2023, Masvidal has been busy.

He began his own promotion and has been holding mixed martial arts and boxing events.

In one of those, he fought long-time rival Nate Diaz, who he beat in the UFC in 2019.

However, in their 2024 boxing match, the result went the other way, with Diaz winning by decision.

Masvidal is still unhappy about the judges’ scoring, and it lit a fire under him to return to the UFC.

“I ain’t slowing down,” he declared.

“I’m training every day, especially after what that last robbery just did to me.

“How do you rob somebody so blatantly?

“I knew with three California judges and fighting a dude in California.

“It was on nobody else’s scorecards anywhere else in the world. It’s bad.

“It’s just like, oh my gosh, I don’t even care to go back into boxing.

“That left a bad taste in my mouth, and anyways, I’m an MMA fighter.”

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