Fighter-and-promoter Jorge Masvidal wants to host an iKON FC event just one day before his UFC return next year.
Masvidal, 38, is hopeful of booking his next fight in the first quarter of next year after being sidelined with an injury since his decision loss to Colby Covington in March. Two months before that fight, Masvidal took up the role of promoter after partnering with MMA matchmaker Dean Toole to create iKON.
Heading into his sixth event with iKON on Friday night as they visit Florida, Masvidal wants to hold an event for the promotion just one day before making his own fighting return. “I’d love to do that and we were trying to do that for some of my last fights," Masvidal told Mirror Fighting .
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"Even with as much as I do, I have a great team and I can just sit in the passenger seat, let these guys dictate and drive it so I can fight. I can do the work for iKON that I would just have to do weeks before, because promoting and fighting go hand in hand. It’s what I’m used to and it doesn’t really add anything, so could I promote my show on Friday then go kick some a** on Saturday? Hell yeah, it just keeps my head in the game."
iKON have already sent fighters such as Bo Nickal and Hamdy Abdelhawab to the UFC, with Masvidal backing the decorated wrester Nickal to become win a world title next year. 'Gamebred' believes iKON is different to other regional MMA promotions as the matchups are always competitive with fighters being matched up against those who have a similar record.
Masvidal also needs to clear his ongoing legal issues stemming from an alleged assault on friend turned rival Covington just weeks after their fight before he is to step foot in the cage. The 38-year-old is happy with the iKON's progression since its launch and thinks several fighters from Friday's card in Florida can make it to the UFC.
"The stars have aligned up perfectly, the ducks have all put themselves in a row," he added. "We had a lot of uphill sprinting to get this event done but we did it. The event happens to be right before the UFC in Orlando which is perfect it's picking up the momentum of all these crazy fight fans that are going to be there. I've got guys on the card like Bekhzod Usmonov and Charlie Decca who are just one or two fights away from being on the UFC."
