A title was on the line in the UFC 244 main event this past Saturday – but not a traditional one. Jorge Masvidal picked up a win over Nate Diaz with a doctor’s stoppage TKO after three rounds to lay claim to “BMF” status. So now that Masvidal has three straight knockout wins over top-tier competition, what should be next up on his resume? MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Nolan King and Mike Bohn sound off in the latest edition of Triple Take.
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Farah Hannoun: Winner of Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington
Jorge Masvidal is in the running for “Fighter of the Year,” after a career resurgence and three straight stoppage wins. He beat Nate Diaz this past Saturday at UFC 244 to win the “BMF” title.
And while it’s clear Masvidal is looking for big money fights, something wouldn’t feel right if he capped off his career without becoming a UFC champion, or at least competing for the welterweight title. There isn’t a better positioned fighter in the division for title contention, and the time is now. Masvidal has said on numerous occasions that he wants to become a champ, and just mentioned in the post-fight press conference that he wants all the belts he can get.
While his fight against Diaz was controversially stopped by the doctor, Masvidal was far ahead on the scorecards, and en route to a master class performance. A rematch with Diaz is something we’d all love to see at some point, but surely Diaz will need some time off to heal from the scars Masvidal gave him.
Enter Kamaru Usman vs. Colby Covington, the 170-pound title fight that is set to take place at UFC 245 on Dec. 14. Timing-wise, the winner might fit perfectly for Masvidal’s next bout.
There’s already a storm brewing with his American Top Team teammate and former friend Covington, who recently turned on him, speaking badly about him in public. The two have gone back and forth and have to be separated, as well as train at different times in the gym. The build-up to that fight would definitely be big if Covington emerges victorious.
Masvidal has also gone back and forth with champion Usman before, and while it may not be as big of a fight as one against Covington, the point is, Masvidal deserves a title shot. Usman and Covington may not hold the star power or generate the money that Masvidal is looking for, but in his current form and with the momentum he’s riding, there’s no better time for him to compete for the title. He’s arguably the best version that he’s ever been in his fighting career, and his body of work in 2019 has certainly earned him the right to compete for gold.
Nolan King: Run it back against Nate Diaz
Saturday night, Jorge Masvidal was dominating Nate Diaz when their UFC 244 headliner was waved off. I don’t think it can be argued otherwise.
But until a rematch is booked, there will always be the “what if’s.” Sure, Masvidal looked a step ahead of Diaz from start to finish. Sure, he landed the bigger shots. Sure, Diaz was a bloody mess. However, there’s a reason fighters fight fights until completion.
As much as you can’t say definitively Diaz would outlast Masvidal and pick up a come-from-behind victory, you can’t rule it out either. Diaz has been dominated from start to finish in fights against Benson Henderson, Rafael dos Anjos, and others. He wasn’t able to rally in those fights. Conversely, he’s rallied in come-from-behind fashion against Conor McGregor, Kurt Pellegrino, and Dong Hyun Kim.
Both fighters said post-fight this is the matchup they want next. While Diaz and Masvidal both have other options in their back pockets, do we honestly believe those fights will be hindered if a second meeting between the two occur? If anything, it will raise both fighters’ stocks. UFC 244 reached outside of our little MMA bubble. Why not get as much mileage out of this matchup as possible? Especially, when there are still questions to be answered.
Diaz wants it. Masvidal seems open to it. It’s still a massive fights the fans want to see. The only party who needs to get on board is the UFC. That’s a big hurdle, but Diaz and Masvidal are needle-movers. If anyone can twist some arms, it’s them.
The “BMF” title needs to be defended. Let’s settle this once and for all and run this back.
Mike Bohn: Conor McGregor for the big money
Farah and Nolan both make legitimate arguments for their choices and I would happily watch Masvidal fight for the title or run it back with Diaz if that’s what happens. Lest we forget the UFC is all about the money, though, and it’s hard look across the entire UFC roster night now and come up with a bigger fight booking than Masvidal vs. Conor McGregor. If properly promoted, it would break all pay-per-view records.
Looking at this from Masvidal’s perspective, it’s all upside. The matchup is favorable to him in many ways, and who would argue “Gamebred” doesn’t deserve all the fame and fortune that would come along with fighting – and likely beating – the Irishman. It would be the financial reward for a lifetime of work for Masvidal, and he’s certainly earned it.
From McGregor’s end, though, it’s probably not a smart move. Assuming claims from McGregor’s management that a deal for his octagon return is “imminent,” it means the former two-division UFC champ is back in the fold. I have no doubt he would fight Masvidal if the stars aligned, but after going three years without a win and not having fought since October 2018, Masvidal is a difficult return opponent.
For the UFC, the most compelling reason to book this fight now is if its lost faith in McGregor. It’s no secret “The Notorious” has struggled to keep himself out of trouble in recent years, and while he claims to be motivated to fight three times in 2020, there’s no telling how many fights we’ll really get out of him, if any.
If the organization feels it can only squeeze one fight left out of McGregor, then using his name and star power to help build Masvidal into an even bigger superstar would be the most effective move.
