Jorge Masvidal asks for release from UFC on Twitter
The tradition of UFC fighters threatening to quit the promotion via Twitter amid the coronavirus pandemic continued on Friday afternoon when Jorge Masvidal, a top contender to battle welterweight champion Kamaru Usman in July, tweeted that he wants out of his UFC deal.
"I'm not an independent contractor if I can't go anywhere else to make a living," Masvidal wrote. "Let me go and let me see if I'm worth it."
The 35-year-old with a 35-13 professional record was set to face Usman at UFC's Fight Island this summer, but negotiations broke down regarding financial aspects of the deal.
Masvidal hit out at UFC's pay during his social-media rant (Warning: NSFW language in the video):
Masvidal also borrowed a line from "The Dark Knight" movie: "If you're good at something, never do it for free."
As ESPN's Marc Raimondi reported, UFC boss Dana White responded to Masvidal while speaking with reporters at the UFC 250 weigh-ins:
"You don't have to fight. Anybody that doesn't want to fight doesn't have to fight. Including Masvidal and Jon Jones and all these other guys. And it doesn't have to be because of a pandemic. These guys are independent contractors. ... We're not begging people to fight."
White's full NSFW statement can be found here.
Jones, the reigning light heavyweight champion, has repeatedly bashed White and teased a UFC exit via Twitter since late May. He also hinted that he could relinquish his title.
Meanwhile, Usman publicly challenged former two-division champion Conor McGregor last month. McGregor has said he's open to a July fight.
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