Masvidal doubts 'little b----' McGregor accepts fight
Despite their recent fiery exchanges on social media, UFC welterweight contender Jorge Masvidal doesn't see a long-awaited matchup with Conor McGregor coming to fruition.
"He's not going to fight," Masvidal told "The MMA Hour" on Wednesday. "The UFC's offered him this fight. As me and you both know, this could be the biggest fight in UFC history. Why wouldn't he want to cash in on that paycheck? Because he knows I'm going to beat the f--- out of him.
"And I'm not a wrestler, so if I beat him, it really looks bad for his brand because I'm going to beat him only one way - f------ in his face, standing up, punching him, knocking his ass out. ... So that little b---- has to do what he has to do and just take to Twitter and talk shit."
The UFC stars traded barbs on Twitter earlier this week, with McGregor questioning Masvidal's intelligence and Masvidal saying the former two-division champion was either "too scared or too stupid" to agree to a fight.
Masvidal confirmed there have been no recent talks between his team and the UFC about facing McGregor.
After McGregor returned to the Octagon and beat Donald Cerrone in early 2020, there was chatter about a potential clash with Masvidal. However, the fight didn't materialize. Instead, Masvidal challenged Kamaru Usman twice for the welterweight title, while McGregor focused on his trilogy with Dustin Poirier.
Masvidal said he's also interested in a meeting with welterweight contender Gilbert Burns, though he suggested he would prioritize the financial incentives that come with a McGregor fight.
"Conor is a shitload of money," Masvidal said. "'Durinho' doesn't sell like that. Not to diss him, but he's just not a box-office draw like that. ... The fans would take to that fight for a fact. But that being said, a paycheck's a paycheck, man."
Masvidal, who skyrocketed to superstardom in recent years but has since fallen out of title contention, is coming off a loss to rival Colby Covington at UFC 272 in March. The 37-year-old is facing multiple charges after an alleged attack on Covington at a Florida restaurant later that month.