One former UFC champion believes that Jorge Masvidal can reignite an old rivalry and walk right back into a title shot if “Gamebred” intends to make his return to the world’s leading MMA promotion.
Masvidal’s recent announcement that he’s “unretired” has sparked a range of suggestions about who the two-time UFC title challenger may be planning to fight next, as well as what organization and discipline he intends to compete in.
Chael Sonnen recently argued that a UFC 300 matchup for the BMF title with Justin Gaethje is Masvidal’s only path to a UFC return, but former UFC double champion Henry Cejudo believes that there may be an even more enticing option available.
“He’s probably gonna be chasing for Leon Edwards,” Cejudo said on his YouTube channel. “‘Cause right now, what he’s thinking – UFC 300 – you know what they’re probably thinking? We’re probably gonna [ex-out] Belal Muhammad and give Jorge Masvidal that ‘three piece and a soda’, and give him an opportunity to eventually fight Leon Edwards.”
Currently, the UFC’s reigning welterweight champion, Leon Edwards famously had a backstage altercation with Masvidal at UFC London in 2019 where “Gamebred” punched Edwards and later dubbed the combination “three piece and a soda”.
The two men unfortunately never had the chance to settle things in the cage before Masvidal retired after UFC 287, but Cejudo argues that both Edwards and the UFC would be interested in finally putting that matchup together.
“You know who wouldn’t mind that? Leon Edwards. Why? Because I think stylistically, Leon Edwards feels that Jorge Masvidal fight is probably a better matchup for him…If I’m the UFC, you know what I’m thinking? We get Jorge Masvidal, our PPV sales just go up that much more…The storyline is too good for him to just sit there and fight somebody else.”
#2-ranked Belal Muhammad weighed in as the backup fighter for Edwards’ last title defense against Colby Covington and is the presumed next challenger for the welterweight belt. There have been rumors about that matchup featuring as part of UFC 300, but UFC CEO Dana White also appeared noncommittal about giving Muhammad a title shot when asked after UFC 296.
Plenty of fans would love to see Edwards and Masvidal finally settle things in the Octagon, but for the moment “Gamebred” hasn’t revealed whether he’s eyeing a return to the UFC or is coming out of retirement to compete elsewhere.
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